Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Cascadia College

Cascadia College's Liberal Arts associate degree produces notably modest earnings by Washington standards—below the state median and ranking in just the 40th percentile among the state's 38 similar programs. One year out, graduates earn $27,352, trailing other Washington community colleges like Spokane ($34,583) and Everett ($30,993). The 40% earnings growth to year four is encouraging, but still lands graduates at $38,176, while Northwest University's comparable program produces starting salaries of $47,645.

The saving grace here is debt: at just $7,000, it's among the lowest in the nation (87th percentile) and well under Washington's $9,500 median for these programs. That translates to a manageable debt burden—roughly three months of first-year earnings. However, the very low Pell grant rate (10%) suggests this may primarily serve students with family financial support, which could skew the debt picture.

The real concern is the small sample size—under 30 graduates. These numbers could swing dramatically year to year, making them unreliable for planning. For parents considering this program, the low debt is reassuring, but the below-average earnings performance in Washington's market means your child would likely be better served by one of the higher-performing community college options nearby unless Cascadia offers specific advantages in location or transfer agreements.