Students at the University of Puget Sound achieve earnings that place the institution among the top quarter of colleges nationwide for long-term financial outcomes.
Graduates consistently outperform national averages across diverse fields, reflecting strong career preparation and alumni network support.
The University of Puget Sound is a small private liberal arts college in Tacoma, Washington, that delivers exceptionally strong long-term financial outcomes for its graduates. With median earnings of $69,594 ten years after enrollment, UPS ranks in the 82nd percentile nationally for graduate earnings, placing it among the top-performing institutions for return on investment. The university combines the intimate academic environment of a small college with the career preparation typically associated with much larger research universities.
What makes UPS distinctive is how consistently its graduates achieve strong financial outcomes across diverse fields of study. Whether students major in business administration, computer science, or liberal arts disciplines like psychology and political science, they tend to earn well above national averages in their post-graduation careers. This performance reflects both the quality of academic preparation and the strength of the alumni network that UPS graduates enter.
As a selective private institution serving primarily middle- and upper-income students, UPS operates in the "Selective Achievers" category—delivering excellent outcomes for the students it enrolls, though with more limited access for low-income families. For students who can afford the investment, UPS offers a compelling combination of academic rigor, personal attention, and strong career preparation that translates into meaningful long-term financial returns.
The University of Puget Sound demonstrates how a liberal arts education can translate into strong career outcomes across diverse fields. Business Administration leads in both enrollment and aggregate return, with 70 graduates earning solid early-career salaries around $41,789. Political Science, the university's largest major with 86 graduates, shows how traditional liberal arts disciplines can lead to meaningful career paths, even if starting salaries around $30,771 appear modest initially.
Computer Science represents UPS's strongest early-earning potential, with 38 graduates achieving median earnings of $41,565 shortly after graduation. This reflects growing demand for technical skills in the Pacific Northwest, where UPS graduates benefit from proximity to Seattle's technology sector. Psychology, with 65 graduates earning around $32,332, demonstrates how the university prepares students for diverse career paths including graduate school, counseling, and business applications.
What distinguishes UPS is how consistently graduates across all major fields achieve strong long-term earnings growth. The university's small size creates intensive mentoring relationships and strong alumni networks that continue to benefit graduates throughout their careers, helping explain why long-term earnings significantly exceed what early-career figures might suggest.
Graduates of the University of Puget Sound achieve strong long-term financial outcomes that place the institution among the top performers nationally. Ten years after enrollment, UPS graduates earn a median of $69,594, ranking in the 82nd percentile compared with similar institutions. This performance is particularly impressive given the university's liberal arts focus, demonstrating that students receive career preparation that translates effectively into the job market.
The university's strongest financial returns come from business administration, which combines solid enrollment with competitive earnings around $41,789 for recent graduates. Computer science majors see similar early-career pay at about $41,565, reflecting strong demand for technical skills in the Pacific Northwest job market. Even traditionally lower-earning fields like psychology and political science—UPS's most popular majors—lead to respectable outcomes, with psychology graduates earning around $32,332 and political science graduates about $30,771 in the early career years. This breadth of solid outcomes across diverse academic programs reflects the university's success in preparing students for professional advancement regardless of their chosen field of study.
Affordability at the University of Puget Sound presents significant challenges for most families, with net prices that rank in the bottom 5% nationally for affordability. Low-income students face annual costs around $28,409, while middle-income families pay approximately $33,336 per year, and high-income families see costs reach $45,996 annually. These price points reflect the realities of private liberal arts education, where smaller enrollment and higher per-student spending translate into substantial family investment.
The university's aid structure tends to favor merit-based support rather than comprehensive need-based assistance, which explains why only about 17% of students receive Pell Grants. Most families rely on a combination of savings, current income, and borrowing to cover costs. While the sticker price is substantial, many families view UPS as a worthwhile investment given the strong long-term earnings outcomes and the personalized educational experience that comes with small class sizes and close faculty relationships.
University Of Puget Sound Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
