Best Online Homeland Security Programs in Des Moines, WA (2026)

Des Moines, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs, with tuition ranging from $4,772 to $18,812 per year for indexed programs. Des Moines has a population of about 32,545. Median household income is $89,787 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $155,320 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Homeland Security Schools to Des Moines

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

#1

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 0.7 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,869
Avg net price $9,879/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$5,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Homeland Security Wages Near Des Moines

Des Moines 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$155,320Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$139,802
Detective and Criminal Investigator$123,820Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$111,449
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$115,120Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$103,618
Transportation Security ScreenerN/AWA statewide

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.


Des Moines at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,545Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$89,787Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Des Moines-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited homeland security schools are near Des Moines, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Des Moines. The closest is Highline College in Des Moines, WA (0.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cascadia College (26.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying homeland security roles near Des Moines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Des Moines are: Emergency Management Director ($155,320), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($123,820), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($115,120). 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 Des Moines?

SeaTac, WA is 3.7 miles from Des Moines and has its own set of local homeland security programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Des Moines an affordable place to study homeland security?

Des Moines’s median household income of $89,787 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Des Moines 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 Homeland Security Programs

Other Programs Available in Des Moines

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.