Best Political Science Schools Near Pasco, WA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Pasco, Washington has 4 accredited schools offering political science programs. Pasco has a population of about 78,446. Median household income is $81,130 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Scientists at a median $147,060 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Pasco

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

Whitman College

Walla Walla, WA 40.1 miles from Pasco
  • 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

#2

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 84.8 miles from Pasco
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#3

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 99.4 miles from Pasco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 112.5 miles from Pasco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 113

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA 127.3 miles from Pasco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 63

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA 131.5 miles from Pasco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,561
Avg net price $26,534/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 168.7 miles from Pasco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,990
Avg net price $19,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA 173.4 miles from Pasco
  • 4 year
57.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,594
Avg net price $38,394/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Political Science Wages Near Pasco

Pasco 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)
Political Scientists $147,060 WA statewide $146,913
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $101,140 WA statewide $101,039
Management Analysts $98,260 Kennewick-Richland, WA $98,162
Public Relations Specialists $103,030 Kennewick-Richland, WA $102,927
Survey Researchers $69,590 WA statewide $69,520
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $62,500 Kennewick-Richland, WA $62,438
Compliance Officers $100,440 Kennewick-Richland, WA $100,340
Social and Community Service Managers $96,470 Kennewick-Richland, WA $96,374

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.

Pasco at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 78,446 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $81,130 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Pasco-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Pasco, WA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering political science programs near Pasco. The closest is Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA (40.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Washington State University (99.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Pasco?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Pasco are: Political Scientists ($147,060), Public Relations Specialists ($103,030), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($101,140). 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 Pasco?

Kennewick, WA is 4.2 miles from Pasco and has its own set of local political science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Pasco an affordable place to study political science?

Pasco’s median household income of $81,130 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pasco 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 Political Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Pasco

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Political Science Schools in Washington (2026)