Best Public Policy Schools Near Tumwater, WA (2026)

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

Tumwater, Washington has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs. Tumwater has a population of about 26,519. Median household income is $93,635 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.6% 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 Tumwater

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Tumwater, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Tumwater 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 Tumwater. 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 63.1 miles from Tumwater
  • 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 112.4 miles from Tumwater
  • 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 272.9 miles from Tumwater
  • 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 Tumwater

Tumwater is part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area (BLS area code 36500). 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 $141,813
Management Analysts $88,790 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $85,622
Economists $103,000 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $99,325
Social and Community Service Managers $108,380 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $104,513
Survey Researchers $69,590 WA statewide $67,107
Compliance Officers $84,500 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $81,485
General and Operations Managers $122,210 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $117,850
Financial and Investment Analysts $69,380 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $66,905

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.

Tumwater at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,519 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $93,635 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 41.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Tumwater-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Tumwater. The closest is University of Washington-Bothell Campus in Bothell, WA (63.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Bothell Campus (63.1 miles).

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Tumwater are: Political Scientists ($147,060), General and Operations Managers ($122,210), Social and Community Service Managers ($108,380). 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 Olympia instead of Tumwater?

Olympia, WA is 3.6 miles from Tumwater 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 Tumwater an affordable place to study public policy?

Tumwater’s median household income of $93,635 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tumwater 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 Tumwater

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

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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