Civil Engineering at Seattle University

Seattle University's civil engineering program graduates earn about $69,000 in their first year—roughly $4,000 less than the Washington state median for this major. Among the state's seven engineering programs, this ranks in the 40th percentile, trailing behind UW, WSU, and Gonzaga. That gap matters in a competitive state market where most programs cluster in the low-to-mid $70,000s. The debt load of $24,000 is manageable and slightly below the state average, resulting in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35, but the real concern is whether graduates are getting the earning potential they could find at peer institutions.

The caveat here is important: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could swing significantly with different cohorts. Small programs can be more volatile year-to-year, and the actual experience could vary considerably. What we can say is that at face value, graduates aren't launching behind a crushing debt burden, but they're also not commanding the salaries typical of Washington engineering programs.

For families choosing between Seattle U and state schools like UW or WSU—which offer stronger starting salaries at similar or lower debt levels—this data suggests the extra $20,000+ in potential earnings elsewhere might be worth serious consideration. If your student has specific reasons to prefer Seattle U's smaller private school environment, the financial tradeoff is modest but measurable.