Engineering at University of Puget Sound

Based on comparable engineering bachelor's programs nationwide, University of Puget Sound graduates can expect to earn around $68,000 in their first year—right at the national median for this degree. That's slightly below what engineering grads from other Washington schools typically see ($69,000), and notably less than the $72,000 earned by graduates from Seattle Pacific University down the road. With estimated debt of about $26,500, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 is manageable by traditional standards, suggesting graduates could reasonably pay off loans within a few years of starting their careers.

However, the small engineering cohort at this liberal arts college (too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes) raises practical questions. Engineering employers often recruit heavily from larger programs with established industry connections, and you're paying liberal arts tuition for a major that typically thrives in more specialized technical environments. The 1332 average SAT suggests strong students, but engineering success often depends on hands-on facilities, research opportunities, and alumni networks that scale with program size.

The financial math works on paper, but confirm what "engineering" actually means here—some smaller programs focus on general engineering or physics-engineering hybrids rather than ABET-accredited specialties that employers expect. If your student wants a traditional engineering career path, the larger state schools in Washington offer more established programs at lower cost, with clearer outcome data to back up their claims.