Education at Seattle Pacific University

Similar education programs in Washington suggest first-year earnings around $44,200 for this bachelor's degree—right at the state median and notably above the national figure of $38,660. That's the good news. The concern is the $25,000 in debt, which sits well above Washington's typical $15,729 for education degrees and pushes Seattle Pacific into the 62nd percentile nationally for debt burden.

The 0.57 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates are borrowing roughly half their first-year salary. For a teaching credential, this matters more than it might in other fields—education salaries are relatively flat and predictable, so what you start with largely determines your financial trajectory. Comparable programs at UW's three campuses produce similar earnings but with debt loads that vary widely depending on the campus, while University of Puget Sound graduates carry far less debt despite being another private institution.

The bottom line: you're paying a premium for Seattle Pacific's approach to teacher preparation, but whether that's justified depends entirely on factors this data can't capture—placement support, student teaching quality, and campus fit. Given the debt premium, your child should have clear reasons for choosing this program over lower-cost alternatives that lead to virtually identical starting salaries.