Engineering Technology at Eastern Washington University

Eastern Washington University's Engineering Technology graduates earn $70,789 in their first year—about $10,000 more than the national median and placing them in the 95th percentile nationally. That's impressive performance from a regional public university with a 92% acceptance rate. However, there's an important caveat: Washington only has two schools offering this program, so the 60th percentile state ranking doesn't tell us much, and the sample size here is under 30 graduates, making these numbers less reliable than data from larger programs.

The debt picture looks reasonable at $25,666, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36. Graduates would need to allocate roughly 36% of their first-year salary to pay off loans in a single year—well within manageable territory for an engineering field. The debt load sits close to the national median, meaning students aren't paying a premium while getting above-average outcomes.

The small sample size means a few outliers could skew these numbers significantly, and with only one other in-state comparison point, it's hard to gauge consistency. That said, if your child is interested in hands-on engineering work and wants to stay in Washington, the combination of strong earning potential and moderate debt makes this worth serious consideration—just recognize you're working with limited data and should verify current program outcomes directly with the school.