Business/Commerce at Pierce College District

An estimated debt load of $11,500 translates to roughly $130 in monthly payments over ten years—manageable on starting salaries that peer programs suggest will be in the mid-$30,000s. What makes this particularly interesting is the four-year earnings trajectory: by year four, graduates from this program are earning $46,865, well above both the estimated first-year figure and what similar programs typically produce nationally. That 28% jump suggests this associate's degree opens doors to meaningful career progression, not just entry-level stagnation.

The debt burden here sits below the national median for business associate's programs ($13,437), while comparable Washington community colleges like Tacoma and Clark report their graduates earning around $40,000-$41,000 in year one. Pierce's estimated first-year figure of $36,591 trails those nearby programs by a few thousand dollars initially, but the strong year-four performance narrows that gap significantly. For a two-year credential with relatively modest borrowing, that's a reasonable trade-off.

The practical takeaway: this program appears positioned to deliver solid value if your student follows through to completion and stays employed in the field long enough to capture those earnings gains. The debt won't be crushing, and the four-year data suggests real earning potential—just understand you're working with estimates from similar programs rather than this school's specific graduate outcomes.