Best Public Administration Schools Near Spokane, WA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Spokane, Washington has 2 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $8,586 to $25,959 per year for indexed programs. Spokane has a population of about 229,228. Median household income is $65,745 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $119,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Spokane

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

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 14.1 miles from Spokane
  • 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

#2

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 226.7 miles from Spokane
  • 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

#3

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 227.5 miles from Spokane
  • 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

#4

Northwest Indian College

Bellingham, WA 250.8 miles from Spokane
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,447
Avg net price $3,136/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, WA 262.6 miles from Spokane
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,320
Avg net price $24,319/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,264
Out‑of‑state$31,905
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Spokane

Spokane 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$95,640Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$95,354
Urban and Regional Planner$95,640Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$95,354
General and Operations Manager$119,420Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$119,063
Management Analyst$96,840Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$96,550

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 at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population229,228Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,745Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Spokane-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Spokane, WA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Spokane. The closest is Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA (14.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Idaho (67.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Spokane?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Spokane are: General and Operations Manager ($119,420), Management Analyst ($96,840), Social and Community Service Manager ($95,640). 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 Valley instead of Spokane?

Spokane Valley, WA is 9.2 miles from Spokane 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 Spokane an affordable place to study public administration?

Spokane’s median household income of $65,745 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Spokane 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

Other Programs Available in Spokane

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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