Design and Applied Arts at Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Based on comparable bachelor's programs in Washington, this program suggests first-year earnings around $39,000—right at the state median for design degrees and notably above the national benchmark of $33,563. The estimated debt load of $21,400 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55, meaning graduates would owe roughly half a year's salary. That's manageable by most standards, though it assumes the state estimates hold true for Lake Washington Institute's specific outcomes.

The four-year earnings figure of $52,106 provides some reassurance that incomes climb substantially after that initial year. However, context matters: UW-Seattle's design graduates earn $63,000 right out of the gate, while even Bellevue College reports first-year earnings near $46,000. Lake Washington's program appears positioned in the middle tier among Washington design schools, which isn't necessarily problematic if the lower debt estimate holds—you're potentially trading some earning power for less financial burden.

For parents, the key question is whether this particular program justifies its cost when peer institutions in the same state show such varied outcomes. The debt looks reasonable if the earnings estimates prove accurate, but with both figures derived from similar programs rather than actual graduate outcomes, you're making an investment decision with meaningful uncertainty about both sides of the equation.