Graduates of Washington State University earn median 4-year earnings of $73,467, placing Washington State University in the 74.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,221 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Washington State University #307 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 466 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,681, ranked #59 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 370 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $91,495, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication reports 301 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $67,647, ranked #19 nationally in its major. Mechanical Engineering reports 265 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,971, ranked #61 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Washington State University earn median 4-year earnings of $73,467, placing Washington State University in the 74.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,221 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Washington State University #307 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 466 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,681, ranked #59 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 370 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $91,495, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication reports 301 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $67,647, ranked #19 nationally in its major. Mechanical Engineering reports 265 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,971, ranked #61 nationally in its major.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $19,500 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Graduates of Washington State University earn median 4-year earnings of $73,467, placing Washington State University in the 74.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,221 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Washington State University #307 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 466 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,681, ranked #59 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 370 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $91,495, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication reports 301 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $67,647, ranked #19 nationally in its major. Mechanical Engineering reports 265 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,971, ranked #61 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
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 provides context for how Washington State University's strongest program families align with national labor-market demand, and the explains how Azimuth evaluates individual programs. ```
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Washington State University earn median 4-year earnings of $73,467, placing Washington State University in the 74.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,221 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Washington State University #307 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 466 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $56,681, ranked #59 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 370 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $91,495, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication reports 301 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $67,647, ranked #19 nationally in its major. Mechanical Engineering reports 265 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,971, ranked #61 nationally in its major.
