Best Political Science Schools Near Spokane Valley, WA (2026)

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

Spokane Valley, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $8,586 to $73,178 per year for indexed programs. Spokane Valley has a population of about 105,460. Median household income is $70,722 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.8% 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 Spokane Valley

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

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA 7.7 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 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

#2

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA 10.5 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 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

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#3

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 20.2 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 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

#4

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 64.5 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 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

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#5

Whitman College

Walla Walla, WA 121.6 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 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

#6

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 161.3 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 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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#7

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA 230.5 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 4 year
77.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $12,319/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 235.9 miles from Spokane Valley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 234

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Spokane Valley

Spokane Valley is part of the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA metro area (BLS area code 44060). 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 $146,620
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $101,140 WA statewide $100,837
Management Analysts $96,840 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $96,550
Public Relations Specialists $74,610 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $74,387
Survey Researchers $69,590 WA statewide $69,382
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $59,540 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $59,362
Compliance Officers $78,460 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $78,225
Social and Community Service Managers $95,640 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $95,354

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.

Spokane Valley at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 105,460 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,722 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 24.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Spokane Valley-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Spokane Valley, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Spokane Valley. The closest is Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA (7.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Washington State University (64.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Spokane Valley?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Spokane Valley are: Political Scientists ($147,060), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($101,140), Management Analysts ($96,840). 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 Spokane instead of Spokane Valley?

Spokane, WA is 9.2 miles from Spokane Valley 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 Spokane Valley an affordable place to study political science?

Spokane Valley’s median household income of $70,722 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Spokane Valley 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 Spokane Valley

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

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.

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