Best Public Administration Schools Near Yakima, WA (2026)

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

Yakima, Washington is home to about 96,810 residents. 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 the Yakima, WA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $119,470 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Yakima

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration 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

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

#2

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 110.5 miles from Yakima
  • 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

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, WA 119.5 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#4

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 152.8 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#5

Northwest Indian College

Bellingham, WA 179.9 miles from Yakima
  • 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

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

Public Administration 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$100,510Yakima, WA$105,246
Urban and Regional Planner$88,790Yakima, WA$92,974
General and Operations Manager$119,470Yakima, WA$125,099
Management Analyst$78,630Yakima, WA$82,335

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

MetricValueSource
Population96,810Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,228Census 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

Other Yakima-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Yakima are: General and Operations Manager ($119,470), Social and Community Service Manager ($100,510), Urban and Regional Planner ($88,790). 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 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 Yakima an affordable place to study public administration?

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 Public Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Yakima

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

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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