Best Public Policy Schools Near Bellingham, WA (2026)

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

Bellingham, Washington has 1 accredited school offering public policy 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 Washington, the top-earning public policy-related role is Political Scientists at a median $147,060 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Bellingham

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

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 Bellingham. 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

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA 69.8 miles from Bellingham
  • 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

#2

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 150.4 miles from Bellingham
  • 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

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 283.5 miles from Bellingham
  • 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

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

Public Policy 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)
Political Scientists $147,060 WA statewide $142,362
Management Analysts $84,620 Bellingham, WA $81,917
Economists $109,300 WA statewide $105,808
Social and Community Service Managers $97,380 Bellingham, WA $94,269
Survey Researchers $69,590 WA statewide $67,367
Compliance Officers $109,550 Bellingham, WA $106,050
General and Operations Managers $125,840 Bellingham, WA $121,820
Financial and Investment Analysts $95,330 Bellingham, WA $92,285

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 Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Bellingham, WA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Bellingham. The closest is University of Washington-Bothell Campus in Bothell, WA (69.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Bothell Campus (69.8 miles).

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near Bellingham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Bellingham are: Political Scientists ($147,060), General and Operations Managers ($125,840), Compliance Officers ($109,550). 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 policy 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 policy?

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 Policy Programs

Other Programs Available in Bellingham

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

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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