Washington State University

Washington State University's program mix is led by Business, which accounts for 21% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 10% and Engineering at 10%. That business-forward concentration shapes the institution's earnings profile: applied fields with direct workforce entry drive much of the financial upside, while broader liberal-arts and social-science programs round out the degree portfolio.

Across 70 programs serving roughly 6,166 students annually, 47 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Nursing anchors the institution's strongest combination of cohort scale and earnings.

Among the largest programs, Psychology, General program graduates 466 students with median earnings of $56,681 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #77 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Nursing program graduates 370 students earning $91,495, while The Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication program graduates 301 students earning $67,647.

On the earnings side, Mechanical Engineering leads with median earnings of $93,971 from a cohort of 265 graduates, and Azimuth ranks the program #61 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing follows at $91,495 with 370 graduates, and Finance posts $86,012 from 244 graduates.

The earnings pattern reflects a split common at land-grant research universities. Programs in engineering, computer science, and nursing are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the national labor market directly and four-year earnings capture real workforce outcomes.

Programs in psychology, biology, and the social sciences are more likely grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount the long-term trajectory of graduates who continue to advanced study. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how Washington State University's strongest program families align with national labor-market demand, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates individual programs. ```

Washington State University's published cost of attendance is $27,648, but need-based aid reshapes what families actually pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $7,074, middle-income families pay around $11,519, and higher-income families pay approximately $24,726.

Azimuth ranks Washington State University #363 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.

Washington State University participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and the gap between sticker price and net price is most pronounced for lower-income families — the pattern typical of public research universities with meaningful need-based grant funding. Families applying for aid use the FAFSA, and Washington's state grant programs provide additional support for in-state residents, further reducing out-of-pocket costs for qualifying students.

The [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is real here: the published cost of attendance overstates what most families pay. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $19,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $29,968; 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 $73,467, median federal debt of $19,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $220 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 Washington State University earn median earnings of $54,000 four years after enrollment, placing Washington State University in the 65th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $55,000 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn $3,000 less than expected, placing the institution in the 40th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to Washington's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,000, the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.

Washington State University's degree output leans toward business, which accounts for 20% of graduates, followed by engineering at 14% and health professions at 10%. Among the highest-earning programs, Azimuth ranks nursing 25th nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with nursing graduates earning median earnings of $84,000 four years after enrollment.

Azimuth ranks Mechanical engineering 50th nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with mechanical engineering graduates earning $76,000, and computer science ranks 75th nationally with computer science graduates earning $72,000. Electrical engineering and civil engineering round out the top programs, with Azimuth ranking them 90th and 100th nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions respectively.