Chemistry at Seattle University

Chemistry programs in Washington State typically produce first-year earnings around $46,000, which is where Seattle University's program appears to land based on comparable bachelor's degree outcomes statewide. With estimated debt of roughly $25,000—slightly above the state median but in line with national norms for chemistry majors—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 suggests a manageable financial burden if your student enters a traditional chemistry career path.

The challenge here is visibility. The Department of Education suppresses this program's specific outcomes because too few graduates participated in the survey, making it impossible to verify whether Seattle University's chemistry majors actually match state-level performance or fall short like some private institutions in Washington. What we do know: the state's top programs (University of Washington, Western Washington) report first-year earnings in the $46,000-$48,000 range, while at least one private school in the data shows outcomes significantly lower at $33,000.

Seattle University's selectivity (76% admission rate, average SAT of 1266) and relatively low Pell enrollment suggest a well-resourced student body, which often correlates with better career outcomes regardless of program quality. But without actual data, you're essentially betting that Seattle U's chemistry department performs closer to the state flagships than to underperforming peers. If your student has admission offers from programs with reported outcomes—particularly public universities with transparent data—those deserve serious consideration for comparison.