Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Burien, WA

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

Burien, Washington has 4 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs. Burien has a population of about 51,331. Median household income is $90,597 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $133,000 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Burien

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration programs near Burien, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Burien 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 Burien. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 9.2 miles from Burien
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 12.1 miles from Burien
  • 4 year
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,506
Avg net price $24,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA 37.5 miles from Burien
  • 4 year
44.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,092
Avg net price $28,119/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 90.6 miles from Burien
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,580
Avg net price $18,476/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Washington schools on the Washington higher education administration page.

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Burien

Burien 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)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $133,000 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $119,712
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $87,280 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $78,560
Instructional Coordinators $97,130 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $87,426
Training and Development Specialists $89,550 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $80,603
Education Administrators, All Other $93,590 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $84,239
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $79,820 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $71,845
Social and Community Service Managers $106,400 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $95,770
Human Resources Specialists $92,770 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $83,501

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.

Burien at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,331 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,597 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Burien-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Burien, WA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Burien. The closest is Seattle University in Seattle, WA (9.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Washington University (90.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles near Burien?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Burien are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($133,000), Social and Community Service Managers ($106,400), Instructional Coordinators ($97,130). 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 SeaTac instead of Burien?

SeaTac, WA is 2.9 miles from Burien and has its own set of local higher education administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Burien an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Burien’s median household income of $90,597 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Burien 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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Burien

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

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 Higher Education Administration Schools in Washington