Best Public Policy Schools Near Wenatchee, WA (2026)

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

Wenatchee, Washington has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Wenatchee has a population of about 35,502. Median household income is $70,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.7% 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 Wenatchee

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

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 30.8 miles from Wenatchee
  • 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

#2

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA 89.8 miles from Wenatchee
  • 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

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#3

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 156.7 miles from Wenatchee
  • 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 Wenatchee

Wenatchee is part of the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA metro area (BLS area code 48300). 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 $141,540
Management Analysts $98,030 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $94,350
Economists $109,300 WA statewide $105,197
Social and Community Service Managers $89,900 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $86,526
Survey Researchers $69,590 WA statewide $66,978
Compliance Officers $82,770 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $79,663
General and Operations Managers $118,520 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $114,071
Financial and Investment Analysts $86,750 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $83,494

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.

Wenatchee at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,502 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,000 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wenatchee-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Wenatchee. The closest is Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA (30.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Bothell Campus (89.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Wenatchee are: Political Scientists ($147,060), General and Operations Managers ($118,520), Economists ($109,300). 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 Wenatchee?

Ellensburg, WA is 31.1 miles from Wenatchee 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 Wenatchee an affordable place to study public policy?

Wenatchee’s median household income of $70,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wenatchee 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 Wenatchee

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

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.

Back to Best Public Policy Schools in Washington (2026)