Best Psychology Schools Near Yakima, WA (2026)

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

Yakima, Washington has 4 accredited schools offering psychology programs, with tuition ranging from $20,928 to $31,209 per year for indexed programs. Yakima has a population of about 96,810. Median household income is $59,228 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning psychology-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $115,240 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Psychology Schools to Yakima

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

Heritage University

Toppenish, WA 16.7 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#2

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 28.3 miles from Yakima
  • 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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#3

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 97.1 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#4

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 99.9 miles from Yakima
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $10,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA 102.2 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#6

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 106.7 miles from Yakima
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
50.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $22,288/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,035
Out‑of‑state$36,035
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 106.8 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#8

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 108.9 miles from Yakima
  • 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

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

Psychology Wages Near Yakima

Yakima is part of the Yakima, WA metro area (BLS area code 49420). 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)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist $115,240 WA statewide $120,670
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist N/A WA statewide –
School Psychologist $107,130 Yakima, WA $112,178
Educational and Career Counselor $96,370 Yakima, WA $100,911
Marriage and Family Therapist $60,000 WA statewide $62,827
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor $58,590 Yakima, WA $61,351
Healthcare Social Worker $62,640 Yakima, WA $65,592
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $53,850 Yakima, WA $56,387

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.

Yakima at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 96,810 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,228 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Psychology-related employment in Yakima County 7,738 workers, 696 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Yakima-Area Cities With Psychology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near Yakima, WA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Yakima. The closest is Heritage University in Toppenish, WA (16.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Tacoma Campus (99.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles near Yakima?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Yakima are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($115,240), School Psychologist ($107,130), Educational and Career Counselor ($96,370). 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 Ellensburg instead of Yakima?

Ellensburg, WA is 28.2 miles from Yakima and has its own set of local psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Yakima an affordable place to study psychology?

Yakima’s median household income of $59,228 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Yakima 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 Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in Yakima

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

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 Psychology Schools in Washington: Online Programs (2026)