Best General Studies Schools Near Lacey, WA (2026)

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

Lacey, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $5,418 to $31,905 per year for indexed programs. Lacey has a population of about 57,088. Median household income is $87,277 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $122,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Lacey

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Lacey, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lacey 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 Lacey. 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

South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA 6.6 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
59.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,039
Avg net price $9,132/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, WA 8.9 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,320
Avg net price $24,319/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,264
Out‑of‑state$31,905
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Pierce College District

Lakewood, WA 13.7 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,532
Avg net price $10,222/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,418
Out‑of‑state$5,976
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, WA 16.6 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
63.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,787
Avg net price $9,864/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,634
Out‑of‑state$6,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 18.0 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,990
Avg net price $19,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, WA 18.7 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,168
Avg net price $8,376/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 21.7 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $10,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bates Technical College

Tacoma, WA 21.7 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,051
Avg net price $6,292/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,027
Out‑of‑state$12,165
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Lacey

Lacey is part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area (BLS area code 36500). 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 $122,210 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $117,850
Management Analysts $88,790 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $85,622
Human Resources Specialists $86,700 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $83,607
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $79,910 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $77,059
Writers and Authors $85,700 WA statewide $82,642
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $105,200 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $101,446
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $78,270 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $75,477
Social and Community Service Managers $108,380 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $104,513

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.

Lacey at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 57,088 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $87,277 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lacey-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Lacey. The closest is South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA (6.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pacific Lutheran University (18.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Lacey are: General and Operations Managers ($122,210), Social and Community Service Managers ($108,380), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($105,200). 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 Olympia instead of Lacey?

Olympia, WA is 4.8 miles from Lacey 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 Lacey an affordable place to study general studies?

Lacey’s median household income of $87,277 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lacey 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 Lacey

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

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.

Back to Best General Studies Schools in Washington (2026)