Best Online Human Services Programs in Bellingham, WA (2026)

Bellingham, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $4,810 to $20,062 per year for indexed programs. Bellingham has a population of about 92,367. Median household income is $65,821 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bellingham, WA metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $97,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Bellingham

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

#1

Northwest Indian College

Bellingham, WA 0.5 miles from Bellingham BOC Score 46.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,447
Avg net price $3,136/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA 1.6 miles from Bellingham BOC Score 69.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,569
Avg net price $21,193/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Human Services Wages Near Bellingham

Bellingham is part of the Bellingham, WA metro area (BLS area code 13380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant$54,320Bellingham, WA$52,585
Social and Community Service Manager$97,380Bellingham, WA$94,269
Child, Family and School Social Worker$63,130Bellingham, WA$61,113
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$77,620Bellingham, WA$75,140

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.


Bellingham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population92,367Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,821Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+46.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Bellingham-Area Cities With Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Bellingham, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Bellingham. The closest is Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, WA (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City University of Seattle (78.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near Bellingham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Bellingham are: Social and Community Service Manager ($97,380), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($77,620), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($63,130). 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 Mount Vernon instead of Bellingham?

Mount Vernon, WA is 24.1 miles from Bellingham and has its own set of local human services programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bellingham an affordable place to study human services?

Bellingham’s median household income of $65,821 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bellingham 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 Human Services Programs

Other Programs Available in Bellingham

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.