The Evergreen State College

The Evergreen State College's program portfolio reflects its identity as a public liberal arts college anchored in interdisciplinary study and self-directed learning. General Studies is the largest program with 422 graduates, followed by Biological and Physical Sciences with 112 graduates.

Across ranked programs serving roughly 534 students annually, the institution's strength lies in breadth rather than concentration in any single field. The highest-earning programs at The Evergreen State College reflect the college's liberal arts mission combined with applied outcomes.

Biological and Physical Sciences graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $48,623 with 112 graduates, while General Studies graduates earn $42,219 with 422 graduates. These outcomes reflect the college's ability to support students across diverse fields into competitive labor-market positions within a small-cohort model.

The Evergreen State College's program signature emphasizes intellectual flexibility and student agency in major selection—a model that produces varied career pathways rather than concentrated industry pipelines. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how the institution's distributed program portfolio aligns with national labor-market trends across multiple fields.

The Evergreen State College's published cost of attendance is $28,477. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $22,079, middle-income families pay around $25,723, and higher-income families pay approximately $28,477.

Azimuth ranks The Evergreen State College #768 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Evergreen's affordability position reflects both the public tuition structure and the breadth of need-based aid available to Washington state residents and out-of-state students. The college participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs.

Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and work-study is available as part of aid packages for eligible students. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $24,950; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $44,424, median federal debt of $20,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $232 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of the Evergreen State College earn median 4-year earnings of $44,424, placing the institution in the 2.5th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $14,170 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing The Evergreen State College in the 11.8th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Washington's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $36,819 — the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.

The earnings pattern reflects the institution's focus on Liberal Arts. The Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program graduates 422 students with median earnings of $42,219 — 0.8× the national benchmark for the field. Biological and Physical Sciences follows with 112 graduates earning $48,623. Azimuth ranks The Evergreen State College #1418 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 4.2nd percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.