1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Washburn University](/school/washburn-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Washburn University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/washburn-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/washburn-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/washburn-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/washburn-university/majors/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Washburn University graduates earn? The reported median is $56,774 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$527 per year. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,774, at the 38th percentile. That is $527 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $8,155 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 79th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,774. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,381. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $772. Fields account for a wide modeled earnings spread at Washburn University. The downside scenario is $43,773 and the upside scenario is $78,919; these are earnings scenarios from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. Among fields, Engineering-Related Fields has median earnings of $80,436 four years after completion, Nursing has $79,109, and Computer and Information Sciences has $78,778. Those program medians show why the modeled range is broad. Four-year earnings should be read alongside further study: an estimated 26.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because the earnings measure includes completers who are working and not enrolled, people continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $56,774 **Rank for difference from expectations** 79th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Washburn University reported median** $56,774 **Peer schools comparable schools · $527 above Washburn University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $8,155 below Washburn University** $48,619 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $43,773 to $78,919, around the reported median of $56,774. Compare the lower scenario with [Washburn University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/washburn-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $43,773 **Median · reported** $56,774 **Higher estimate** $78,919 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Washburn University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Washburn University graduates’ reported earnings are $8,155 above that expectation, the 79th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Washburn University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,774 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$1,381 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$8,155 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Washburn University report the highest earnings? Washburn University pairs a large higher-earning health field with programs whose four-year earnings sit at a more moderate level. Nursing, its largest program, has median earnings of $79,109 four years after completion and 152 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) this field #259 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions and #2 in Kansas. Engineering-Related Fields reports $80,436 with 8 degrees awarded, while Kinesiology and Physical Education records $57,079 across 48 degrees awarded. Communication and Media Studies is lower at $46,497 and 44 degrees awarded. The spread shows that earnings vary considerably across the fields represented among the university's larger and higher-earning programs. Health Professions accounts for 30.7% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, so health-focused study is central to Washburn University’s program mix. The university has 15 bachelor’s field with an Azimuth national rank. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Nursing #259 nationally within its field; it awarded 152 degrees, and its completers had median earnings of $79,109 four years after completion. Among other large programs, Health and Medical Administrative Services awarded 52 degrees and had median earnings of $66,325 four years after completion. Computer and Information Sciences awarded 18 degrees, with median earnings of $78,778 at that point, while Finance awarded 36 degrees and reached $76,175. The larger health programs and the higher-earning computing and finance options show distinct paths within the program mix. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Engineering-Related Fields** $80,436 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $79,109 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $78,778 **Finance and Financial Management Services** $76,175 **Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions** $75,787 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $68,154 **Accounting and Related Services** $66,900 **Health and Medical Administrative Services** $66,325 [Explore Washburn University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/washburn-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis The program mix yields earnings scenarios of $43,773 in the downside case, $56,774 in the typical case, and $78,919 in the upside case. Engineering-Related Fields has median earnings of $80,436 four years after completion, compared with Communication and Media Studies at $46,497 among the largest programs. The spread shows how much the modeled picture varies by field. Washburn University graduates have a schoolwide earnings midpoint: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,774 four years after completion. Azimuth places this earnings measure in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, using an earnings cohort of 1,491 completers. That median is an institutional midpoint, not a forecast for any particular field or person. The typical scenario, based on the program mix, matches that median. Graduates earn about $8,155 more than the model expects for similar students. An estimated 26.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).