Computer and Information Sciences at Olympic College

Computer science programs in Washington generally deliver strong returns, and the estimated numbers here—around $71,000 in first-year earnings against roughly $18,000 in debt—suggest Olympic College's bachelor's program could follow that trend. These figures come from peer programs across the state, and they paint a picture that's hard to argue with: a debt load you could realistically pay off within a year or two while building a tech career in the Seattle-Tacoma corridor.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25 means your child would be borrowing about three months' worth of their expected first-year salary. That's considerably better than the national median debt of $25,000 for this field. Washington's tech employment market runs hot—the University of Washington system and Pacific Lutheran graduates earn in a similar range ($68,000-$78,000), which reinforces that local employers pay computer science grads well regardless of which in-state program they attend.

The caveat is that these are projections based on similar programs, not actual tracked outcomes from Olympic College graduates. The low Pell grant percentage (16%) also suggests this might serve a different student population than typical community colleges. If your child can confirm that the program has solid industry connections and job placement support—particularly given Olympic's location near naval and defense tech employers in Kitsap County—the estimated economics look promising enough to pursue seriously.