Best Urban Planning Schools Near Bellingham, WA (2026)

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

Bellingham, Washington has 1 accredited school offering urban planning 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 the Bellingham, WA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $140,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Bellingham

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer urban planning 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-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 76.2 miles from Bellingham
  • 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

#2

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 104.3 miles from Bellingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $10,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 241.5 miles from Bellingham
  • 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

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

Urban Planning 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)
Urban and Regional Planners $100,050 Bellingham, WA $96,854
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $87,270 Bellingham, WA $84,482
Surveyors $106,590 Bellingham, WA $103,185
Geographers $112,260 WA statewide $108,674
Social and Community Service Managers $97,380 Bellingham, WA $94,269
Management Analysts $84,620 Bellingham, WA $81,917
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $96,100 WA statewide $93,030
Managers, All Other $140,910 Bellingham, WA $136,409

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 Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Bellingham, WA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Bellingham. The closest is University of Washington-Seattle Campus in Seattle, WA (76.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Seattle Campus (76.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near Bellingham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Bellingham are: Managers, All Other ($140,910), Geographers ($112,260), Surveyors ($106,590). 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 urban planning 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 urban planning?

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 Urban Planning 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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