Best Journalism Schools Near Centralia, WA (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Centralia, Washington has 4 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $12,973 to $56,721 per year for indexed programs. Centralia has a population of about 18,457. Median household income is $52,387 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $87,470 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Centralia

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

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 70.1 miles from Centralia
  • 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: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 71.5 miles from Centralia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
89.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA 140.8 miles from Centralia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 259.0 miles from Centralia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
59.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,897
Avg net price $13,886/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,586
Out‑of‑state$25,959
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Spokane Falls Community College

Spokane, WA 266.7 miles from Centralia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
58.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,955
Avg net price $7,409/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA 269.2 miles from Centralia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
76.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,892
Avg net price $35,119/yr
Tuition
In‑state$55,480
Out‑of‑state$55,480
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 275.2 miles from Centralia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,905
Avg net price $14,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Journalism Wages Near Centralia

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Washington, statewide)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$54,760
Editor$77,850
Public Relations Specialist$87,470

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.

Centralia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population18,457Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,387Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Centralia-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Centralia, WA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Centralia. The closest is Seattle University in Seattle, WA (68.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pacific University (83.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles in Washington?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles in Washington are: Public Relations Specialist ($87,470), Editor ($77,850), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($54,760). Wages for Centralia workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Tumwater instead of Centralia?

Tumwater, WA is 18.8 miles from Centralia and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Centralia an affordable place to study journalism?

Centralia’s median household income of $52,387 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Centralia 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 Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Centralia

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

Data verified: August 11, 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 Journalism Schools in Washington: Online Programs (2026)