Best Human Services Schools Near Lakewood, WA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lakewood, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $4,810 to $20,062 per year for indexed programs. Lakewood has a population of about 63,034. Median household income is $70,524 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $106,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Human Services Schools to Lakewood

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

Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, WA 5.7 miles from Lakewood
  • 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

#2

City University of Seattle

Seattle, WA 32.6 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,460
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Kirkland, WA 41.1 miles from Lakewood
  • 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

#4

Edmonds College

Lynnwood, WA 46.1 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
67.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,144
Avg net price $11,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,810
Out‑of‑state$10,875
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 94.3 miles from Lakewood
  • 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

#6

Clark College

Vancouver, WA 105.6 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,356
Avg net price $11,465/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA 108.9 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.3 BOC Score
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: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northwest Indian College

Bellingham, WA 112.8 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
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: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Human Services Wages Near Lakewood

Lakewood 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)
Social and Human Service Assistant $58,090 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $52,286
Social and Community Service Manager $106,400 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $95,770
Child, Family and School Social Worker $75,280 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $67,759
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor $73,580 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $66,229

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.

Lakewood at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 63,034 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,524 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lakewood-Area Cities With Human Services Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Lakewood. The closest is Tacoma Community College in Tacoma, WA (5.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Washington University (94.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Lakewood are: Social and Community Service Manager ($106,400), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($75,280), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($73,580). 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 University Place instead of Lakewood?

University Place, WA is 3.7 miles from Lakewood 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 Lakewood an affordable place to study human services?

Lakewood’s median household income of $70,524 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakewood 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 Lakewood

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Human Services Schools in Washington (2026)