Civil Engineering at Saint Martin's University

Saint Martin's civil engineering graduates earn slightly below the Washington state median ($71,601 vs. $73,357), placing the program in the 40th percentile statewide—though it still beats the national average. With only seven civil engineering programs in Washington, this middle-tier positioning matters: graduates earn about $3,000 less initially than peers at WSU or Gonzaga, though the 19% earnings growth over four years suggests solid career trajectory. The $23,616 debt load matches the state median and sits below the national average, yielding a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33.

The small sample size here is significant—we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, which means one outlier can skew the numbers considerably. That said, the debt figures are encouraging for a private university serving a largely middle-class student body (40% Pell recipients). The salary progression from $71,601 to $85,216 indicates employers value these graduates once they gain experience, even if starting salaries lag slightly behind the state's top programs.

For Washington families, this represents a reasonable—if not exceptional—path into civil engineering. You're paying private school tuition but incurring modest debt, and graduates land squarely in the middle of the state's engineering market. The question is whether that middle-tier outcome justifies the likely higher sticker price compared to Washington State University or the UW system schools.