Business Administration, Management and Operations at South Seattle College

This business associate's degree puts students right in line with state and national norms—comparable Washington programs suggest first-year earnings around $35,000, tracking closely with both the state median ($35,022) and the national benchmark ($33,977). The estimated $16,000 debt load is also typical for business associate's programs in Washington, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 that's manageable compared to many higher-credential programs.

The real challenge here isn't the numbers but the spread: top-performing business associate's programs in Washington like Columbia Basin College report $42,000 in first-year earnings, while others land closer to $20,000. Since South Seattle College's actual outcomes aren't available due to small sample sizes, it's impossible to know where in this range their graduates typically fall. Seattle's strong economy could work in graduates' favor for local employment, but that's speculation without the school's specific track record.

For a two-year degree, the estimated debt burden is reasonable enough that even if earnings land at the lower end of the range, repayment remains feasible. However, you're essentially betting on a program without seeing its cards—if placement and earnings data matter to you, look for Washington business programs with published outcomes, or ask South Seattle directly about their graduates' employment rates and starting salaries before committing.