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Best Public Administration Schools Near Bellingham, WA (2026)
Bellingham, Washington has 3 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $4,365 to $56,721 per year for indexed programs. Bellingham has a population of about 92,367. Median household income is $65,821 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bellingham, WA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $125,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Bellingham
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Bellingham, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bellingham city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Washington schools on the Washington public administration page.
Public Administration Wages Near Bellingham
Bellingham is part of the Bellingham, WA metro area (BLS area code 13380). 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $97,380 | Bellingham, WA | $94,269 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $100,050 | Bellingham, WA | $96,854 |
| General and Operations Manager | $125,840 | Bellingham, WA | $121,820 |
| Management Analyst | $84,620 | Bellingham, WA | $81,917 |
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.
Bellingham at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 92,367 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $65,821 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 46.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.3 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Bellingham-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- Mount Vernon, WA – 24.1 mi away (68,613 pop)
- Oak Harbor, WA – 32.5 mi away (34,689 pop)
- Marysville, WA – 48.6 mi away (163,547 pop)
- Lake Stevens, WA – 54.6 mi away (31,679 pop)
- Sequim, WA – 55.0 mi away (20,330 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Bellingham, WA?
Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Bellingham. The closest is Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, WA (7.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Seattle University (79.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Bellingham?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Bellingham are: General and Operations Manager ($125,840), Urban and Regional Planner ($100,050), Social and Community Service Manager ($97,380). 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 Mount Vernon instead of Bellingham?
Mount Vernon, WA is 24.1 miles from Bellingham and has its own set of local public administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Bellingham an affordable place to study public administration?
Bellingham’s median household income of $65,821 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bellingham 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 Public Administration Programs
- Is a Public Administration degree worth it?
- Main Public Administration degree guide
- Online Public Administration programs in Washington
- Public Administration programs by state
Other Programs Available in Bellingham
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Bellingham:
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Data verified: August 11, 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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