Best General Studies Schools Near Kirkland, WA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Kirkland, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $5,997 to $50,501 per year for indexed programs. Kirkland has a population of about 91,614. Median household income is $143,533 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $146,030 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Kirkland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Kirkland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Kirkland city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Kirkland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Kirkland, WA 1.5 miles from Kirkland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,669
Avg net price $6,817/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,997
Out‑of‑state$12,062
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 2.9 miles from Kirkland
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
50.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $22,288/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,035
Out‑of‑state$36,035
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 2.9 miles from Kirkland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $35,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Washington schools on the Washington general studies page.

General Studies Wages Near Kirkland

Kirkland is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $146,030 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $131,440
Management Analysts $126,340 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $113,717
Human Resources Specialists $92,770 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $83,501
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $102,170 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $91,962
Writers and Authors $98,730 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $88,866
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $102,670 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $92,412
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $81,640 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $73,483
Social and Community Service Managers $106,400 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $95,770

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Kirkland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 91,614 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $143,533 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 64.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Kirkland-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Kirkland, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Kirkland. The closest is Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland, WA (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cascadia College (4.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Kirkland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Kirkland are: General and Operations Managers ($146,030), Management Analysts ($126,340), Social and Community Service Managers ($106,400). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Redmond instead of Kirkland?

Redmond, WA is 4.0 miles from Kirkland and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Kirkland an affordable place to study general studies?

Kirkland’s median household income of $143,533 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kirkland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Kirkland

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Kirkland:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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