Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Richland, WA (2026)

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

Richland, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $6,555 to $18,261 per year for indexed programs. Richland has a population of about 61,912. Median household income is $92,550 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kennewick-Richland, WA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $119,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Richland

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

Columbia Basin College

Pasco, WA 8.5 miles from Richland
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,680
Avg net price $8,317/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,555
Out‑of‑state$8,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA 46.2 miles from Richland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,885
Avg net price $23,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Whitman College

Walla Walla, WA 48.3 miles from Richland
  • 4 year
63.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,589
Avg net price $33,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Walla Walla Community College

Walla Walla, WA 50.7 miles from Richland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,526
Avg net price $9,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Heritage University

Toppenish, WA 52.9 miles from Richland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,416
Avg net price $14,598/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,928
Out‑of‑state$20,928
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Big Bend Community College

Moses Lake, WA 62.3 miles from Richland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,814
Avg net price $12,210/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Yakima Valley College

Yakima, WA 62.4 miles from Richland
  • 4 year
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,499
Avg net price $11,843/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 77.2 miles from Richland
  • 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

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Richland

Richland is part of the Kennewick-Richland, WA metro area (BLS area code 28420). 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 $103,030 Kennewick-Richland, WA $102,927
Management Analyst $98,260 Kennewick-Richland, WA $98,162
Technical Writer $119,160 Kennewick-Richland, WA $119,041
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $54,760 WA statewide $54,705
Editor $77,850 WA statewide $77,772
Training and Development Specialist $98,280 Kennewick-Richland, WA $98,182
Human Resources Specialist $81,290 Kennewick-Richland, WA $81,209

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.

Richland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 61,912 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $92,550 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 46.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Richland-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Richland, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Richland. The closest is Pacific Northwest Christian College in Kennewick, WA (8.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Whitman College (48.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Richland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Richland are: Technical Writer ($119,160), Public Relations Specialist ($103,030), Training and Development Specialist ($98,280). 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 Kennewick instead of Richland?

Kennewick, WA is 8.2 miles from Richland 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 Richland an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Richland’s median household income of $92,550 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richland 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 Richland

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

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.

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