Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Bellevue College

Bellevue College's nursing graduates command impressive first-year earnings of $82,286—well above the national median of $68,409 and ranking in the 95th percentile nationally. With debt of just $17,152, the financial picture looks strong at graduation. However, within Washington state, this program sits at the 60th percentile, meaning several nearby community colleges actually report higher earnings for their nursing graduates. Olympic College and Highline College both show graduates earning around $84,000, suggesting location and clinical partnerships matter significantly within the Seattle metro area.

The earnings decline to $74,174 by year four deserves attention. This 10% drop is unusual for nursing, where wages typically rise steadily with experience. It's unclear whether this reflects graduates moving to lower-paying roles, leaving bedside nursing for administrative positions, or simply the specific cohort tracked. Regardless, it complicates the long-term value calculation, even though the program still produces nurses who earn well above national averages.

For Washington families, this remains a solid option with manageable debt, but parents should know it's not necessarily the top-performing nursing program in the region. If your child can access one of the higher-earning community college programs nearby, those might offer marginally better outcomes at similar cost. Still, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.21 means graduates can realistically manage their loans regardless of which nursing path they choose after graduation.