Mathematics at Seattle University

Seattle University's math majors start at $57,551—outpacing the national median by nearly $9,000 and beating other Washington programs by a comfortable margin. Within the state, only Whitworth comes close, while larger public universities like UW-Seattle match the state median at $46,585. For families weighing private versus public options in Washington, that's a $11,000 annual advantage right out of college.

The debt picture looks reasonable at $23,281, translating to a 0.40 ratio that suggests manageable monthly payments relative to earnings. At this income level, federal loan payments would consume roughly 6-7% of gross income—well within the range most financial advisors consider sustainable. The program sits in the 36th percentile nationally for debt, meaning most comparable programs saddle graduates with more.

The major caveat: Seattle University graduates fewer than 30 math majors annually, so these numbers could swing significantly year to year. A few graduates landing particularly high-paying tech jobs (common in Seattle's market) could inflate the median. Still, even accounting for statistical noise, the earnings gap over state competitors is substantial enough to suggest real placement strength. For families already considering Seattle University's tuition, the math program appears to deliver competitive returns, though the small cohort size makes it harder to predict individual outcomes with confidence.