Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Green River College

A technology bachelor's degree with debt under half of first-year earnings usually signals solid value, but here's the catch: Green River's figures are drawn from national peer programs, and Washington State's actual reported outcomes suggest something better might be within reach. Similar programs statewide typically produce $66,117 in first-year earnings—about $8,000 more than the national baseline used here—while graduates carry less debt than the national norm.

The estimated $25,000 debt load is manageable for tech fields, but neighboring programs like Western Washington University ($72,675 starting salary) and Columbia Basin College ($59,559) demonstrate the wide range of outcomes across Washington. Without Green River's actual graduate data, it's unclear whether this program competes closer to Western's strong performance or merely tracks with the national median. That uncertainty matters when you're comparing schools in the same state where superior alternatives have transparent track records.

The fundamentals suggest this could be a reasonable investment—tech credentials generally pay off, and the debt isn't alarming. But you're essentially betting on estimated outcomes when concrete data exists for other Washington programs. If your child is comparing offers, prioritize schools with reported results. If Green River is the choice for other reasons (location, transfer credits, specific curriculum), recognize you're accepting more uncertainty about the financial return than you would elsewhere.