Business Administration, Management and Operations at Clover Park Technical College

What's striking about this program is that, based on comparable business programs in Washington, graduates appear to land near the state median with first-year earnings around $49,000—while carrying roughly $16,000 in debt, well below what most business bachelor's programs nationally require students to borrow. That 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable repayment, though it's worth noting these figures come from peer programs at similar Washington institutions, not Clover Park's specific graduates.

The challenge here is uncertainty. While some Washington business programs place graduates in $54,000-$80,000 jobs, we don't know where Clover Park actually falls in that range. The estimated earnings match Washington's median, but that could mean this technical college performs comparably to state universities, or it could simply reflect the limitation of using statewide averages when actual outcomes aren't available. The lower estimated debt is promising—roughly $10,000 less than the state median—but without knowing actual job placement rates or employer connections, it's hard to assess whether this program delivers the same value as traditional four-year institutions.

For parents, the key question is whether a business degree from a technical college opens the same doors as one from a comprehensive university. The estimates suggest solid fundamentals, but you'll need to dig into specifics: where graduates actually get hired, what roles they secure, and whether employers in your target industry recognize this credential.