Applied Mathematics at Central Washington University

A debt load of $21,000 produces manageable first-year payments when paired with the $60,930 in earnings that national peer programs typically generate—roughly a third of annual salary. That 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio sits comfortably below the concerning threshold, suggesting graduates should be able to handle loan payments without serious financial strain. However, the substantial gap between what national programs produce and Washington State University's reported first-year figure of $27,626 deserves attention. Applied mathematics programs in Washington show much wider variation in outcomes than the national pattern would suggest.

The discrepancy likely reflects different career paths graduates pursue—some immediately entering high-paying tech or analytics roles, others taking positions that don't capitalize on quantitative skills or requiring additional credentials first. Central Washington's 90% admission rate and 31% Pell population indicate a broader student body than more selective institutions, which could mean graduates face additional hurdles in accessing top-tier starting positions. If outcomes track closer to Washington's median than the national baseline, that debt becomes a heavier burden on a $27,000 salary.

Without specific data from Central Washington, you're weighing the possibility of strong national-level outcomes against documented evidence that Washington programs can produce much lower returns. The safest assumption: understand what specific employers recruit from this campus and what first jobs actually look like for recent graduates before committing.