Business Operations Support and Assistant Services at Spokane Community College

Spokane Community College's business operations certificate sits right at the state median for both earnings and debt, which means it performs exactly average among Washington's 28 programs. First-year graduates earn $26,402—about $1,300 more than the national median—while carrying $10,869 in debt. That 0.41 debt-to-earnings ratio translates to roughly five months of gross income to repay loans, a manageable burden for entry-level administrative work.

The program's 60th percentile ranking within Washington and 62nd nationally suggests competent but unremarkable outcomes. More encouraging is the debt load: at the 25th percentile nationally, graduates here borrow less than 75% of similar programs elsewhere. For a certificate designed to launch administrative careers quickly, keeping debt below $11,000 matters more than squeezing out a few thousand extra in starting salary.

The caveat worth noting: fewer than 30 students provided data, so individual circumstances could swing these numbers considerably. Still, for parents whose kids need credentials fast without accumulating serious debt, this delivers what business operations certificates typically promise—a foot in the door at offices around Spokane, with loan payments that won't dominate the budget. Just don't expect this certificate alone to open doors to management positions or significantly above-average pay.