How much money do Washington State University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $42,400 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $54,400 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for Washington State graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer Science with a median starting salary of $68,400 followed by Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing paying $68,400 and Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering graduates who have a median starting income of $66,300 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $122,700 followed by Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degree) at $114,600 and Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degree) who earn $106,400 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Washington State University graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degree) | $122,700 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degree) | $114,600 |
| Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degree) | $106,400 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degree) | $103,500 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) | $101,100 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $96,500 |
| Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degree) | $77,800 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $69,600 |
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $68,400 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $68,400 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $66,300 |
| Construction Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $65,300 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,300 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,200 |
| Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $59,800 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $57,800 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $56,800 |
| Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $56,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degree) | $53,200 |
| Architecture (Master's Degree) | $52,200 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degree) | $51,800 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,800 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,500 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $46,900 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences (Master's Degree) | $46,800 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $46,800 |
| Applied Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $45,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $44,400 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $44,000 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,400 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,300 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,000 |
| Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,400 |
| Agricultural Production Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,100 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,500 |
| International Business (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,400 |
| Social Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,500 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,500 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,900 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,400 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,000 |
| Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,800 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,100 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,800 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,800 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,700 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,900 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,600 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,500 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,300 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,100 |
| Animal Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,300 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,800 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,700 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,400 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $21,900 |
| Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $18,100 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=236939 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Washington State University.