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Police academy in Washington

7 police and corrections programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

6 schools offer these law enforcement programs, and Washington has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Police officers protect lives and property. Applicants need at least a high school diploma, though some departments and federal agencies ask for college classes or a degree, and they usually must be 21 and meet strict physical and personal standards; most then graduate from their agency's training academy and train on the job.1

In Washington, 1 of the 7 programs takes students without a high school diploma and 6 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 7 programs here are corrections certificate (4 programs), law enforcement certificate (2 programs) and police academy (basic law enforcement, 1 program).

See the 7 programs

How much does police academy cost in Washington?

$2,961 to $3,526 is what most police and corrections programs in Washington cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 7 programs with a price. All of them: $753 to $4,842

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
21 to 26 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Washington may also offer police academy training. How these figures are made

Is there free police academy training in Washington?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 7 police and corrections programs in Washington approved for WIOA funding

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7 programs

  • Law enforcement certificateHybridPrerequisite courses

    Law Enforcement

    Green River College

    Auburn

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Green River College, AuburnLaw enforcement certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimated$34,900
    Price if you pay yourself$3,451
    Program website, Law Enforcement at Green River College
    More details about Law Enforcement at Green River College
    Finished
    50%
    Working at 6 months
    90%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,732
    Length
    30 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    39
    Earned a year, estimated
    $34,900
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,451
    Program website, Law Enforcement at Green River College

  • Corrections certificateIn personPrerequisite courses

    Correctional Certificate

    Yakima Valley College

    Yakima

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Yakima Valley College, YakimaCorrections certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimated$27,900
    Price if you pay yourself$3,418
    Program website, Correctional Certificate at Yakima Valley College
    More details about Correctional Certificate at Yakima Valley College
    Finished
    50%
    Working at 6 months
    96%
    Earned in a quarter
    $6,976
    Length
    22 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    34
    Earned a year, estimated
    $27,900
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,418
    Program website, Correctional Certificate at Yakima Valley College

  • Corrections certificateIn personNo diploma needed

    Community Corrections Program Monitor

    South Seattle College

    Seattle

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    South Seattle College, SeattleCorrections certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$753
    Program website, Community Corrections Program Monitor at South Seattle College
    More details about Community Corrections Program Monitor at South Seattle College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    8 weeks, 39 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $753
    Program website, Community Corrections Program Monitor at South Seattle College

  • Corrections certificateHybridPrerequisite courses

    Corrections

    Green River College

    Auburn

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Green River College, AuburnCorrections certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$2,531
    Program website, Corrections at Green River College
    More details about Corrections at Green River College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    22 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,531
    Program website, Corrections at Green River College

  • Police academy (basic law enforcement)In personPrerequisite courses

    Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy

    Skagit Valley College

    Mount Vernon

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Skagit Valley College, Mount VernonPolice academy (basic law enforcement) · Accredited schoolIn person · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$3,391
    Program website, Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy at Skagit Valley College
    More details about Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy at Skagit Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    20 weeks, 23 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,391
    Program website, Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy at Skagit Valley College

  • Law enforcement certificateIn personPrerequisite courses

    Explorer/Cadet Pre-Law Enforcement

    Pierce College

    Lakewood

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Pierce College, LakewoodLaw enforcement certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$3,600
    Program website, Explorer/Cadet Pre-Law Enforcement at Pierce College
    More details about Explorer/Cadet Pre-Law Enforcement at Pierce College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    22 weeks, 19 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,600
    Program website, Explorer/Cadet Pre-Law Enforcement at Pierce College

  • Corrections certificateHybridPrerequisite courses

    Corrections

    Wenatchee Valley College

    Wenatchee

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Wenatchee Valley College, WenatcheeCorrections certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$4,842
    Program website, Corrections at Wenatchee Valley College
    More details about Corrections at Wenatchee Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    33 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,842
    Program website, Corrections at Wenatchee Valley College

How to pay for police academy training in Washington

WIOA funding can pay for police academy training in Washington

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for police academy training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for police academy training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Police academy in Washington

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
7th of 17
police and corrections programs here, against the typical state's 7
7 vs 7

State comparisons use the same figures as the police academy training by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Police academy in Seattle, Yakima, Mount Vernon and other Washington cities

Areas with 10 or more programs have a page of their own. Choosing another area filters the program list above.

Other training in Washington

How police academy training compares with the rest of public safety: First responder training in Washington

Where the Washington law enforcement program numbers come from

Which Washington law enforcement programs are on this list?

These are the law enforcement programs Washington approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Washington offers.

How the prices and results of Washington law enforcement programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about police academy training in Washington

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List