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

Washington State consistently produces strong outcomes for associate-degree nursing programs, and while Cascadia College doesn't have reportable graduate data yet, the typical picture for similar programs in the state suggests solid fundamentals. Based on comparable Washington community colleges, nursing graduates can expect first-year earnings around $79,000 against roughly $18,000 in debt—a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.23 that means less than three months of gross income to cover educational costs. That's manageable by any standard, and notably better than the national median debt of nearly $21,000 for this credential.

What's encouraging is how consistent Washington's nursing programs are. The state's top-performing community colleges with reported data—places like Highline and Olympic—show first-year earnings in the low-to-mid $80,000s, suggesting Cascadia's graduates likely enter the same robust regional healthcare job market. The $79,000 benchmark already exceeds the national median by more than $10,000, reflecting Washington's strong demand for nursing professionals and higher cost of living adjustments in the Seattle metro area.

For parents weighing this investment, the numbers point clearly in one direction: if your child completes this program, they're positioned to earn a solid middle-class income immediately while carrying debt they can realistically pay down quickly. The main variable is completion itself—associate nursing programs are demanding, and success depends on your child's commitment to a rigorous curriculum and clinical requirements.