Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Seattle, WA (2026)

Seattle, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Seattle has a population of about 741,440. Median household income is $121,984 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 67.5% 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 Seattle

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

#1

City University of Seattle

Seattle, WA 1.0 miles from Seattle BOC Score 59.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,460
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 2.4 miles from Seattle BOC Score 89.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Seattle

Seattle 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$96,000Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$86,409
Management Analyst$126,340Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$113,717
Technical Writer$107,580Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$96,832
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$59,340Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$53,411
Editor$79,660Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$71,701
Training and Development Specialist$89,550Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,603
Human Resources Specialist$92,770Seattle-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.


Seattle at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population741,440Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$121,984Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+67.5%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 County10,077 workers, 434 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Seattle-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Seattle are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Seattle 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 Mercer Island instead of Seattle?

Mercer Island, WA is 6.1 miles from Seattle 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 Seattle an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Seattle’s median household income of $121,984 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Seattle 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 Seattle

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.