Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Mercer Island, WA (2026)

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

Mercer Island, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Mercer Island has a population of about 25,282. Median household income is $202,359 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 78.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $126,340 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Mercer Island

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

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA 3.9 miles from Mercer Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,310
Avg net price $11,430/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 5.4 miles from Mercer Island
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#3

Renton Technical College

Renton, WA 5.6 miles from Mercer Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,782
Avg net price $8,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA 5.8 miles from Mercer Island
  • 4 year
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,307
Avg net price $8,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

South Seattle College

Seattle, WA 6.0 miles from Mercer Island
  • 4 year
47.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,486
Avg net price $6,004/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

City University of Seattle

Seattle, WA 6.7 miles from Mercer Island
  • 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
#7

Antioch University-Seattle

Seattle, WA 6.7 miles from Mercer Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 6.7 miles from Mercer Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $35,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Mercer Island

Mercer Island 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)
Public Relations Specialist $96,000 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $86,409
Management Analyst $126,340 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $113,717
Technical Writer $107,580 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $96,832
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $59,340 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $53,411
Editor $79,660 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $71,701
Training and Development Specialist $89,550 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $80,603
Human Resources Specialist $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.

Mercer Island at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 25,282 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $202,359 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 78.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in King County 10,077 workers, 434 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Mercer Island-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Mercer Island, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Mercer Island. The closest is Bellevue College in Bellevue, WA (3.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Seattle College (6.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Mercer Island?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Mercer Island are: Management Analyst ($126,340), Technical Writer ($107,580), Public Relations Specialist ($96,000). 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 Bellevue instead of Mercer Island?

Bellevue, WA is 4.0 miles from Mercer Island and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Mercer Island an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Mercer Island’s median household income of $202,359 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mercer Island 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Mercer Island

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

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 Liberal Arts Schools in Washington (2026)