Computer Programming at University of Washington-Bothell Campus

The earnings estimate here—$50,242 based on national peer programs—falls dramatically short of what Washington state's tech market typically delivers. DigiPen's computer programming graduates earn $102,580 in their first year, and that $102,580 median across Washington programs represents the kind of return students expect from studying tech in Seattle's backyard. While UW Bothell benefits from proximity to one of the nation's strongest tech hubs, these estimated figures suggest graduates aren't immediately capturing that advantage the way their in-state counterparts do.

The estimated $25,000 debt load keeps the ratio manageable at 0.50, which means the financial burden itself isn't catastrophic. But that's comparing debt to an earnings figure that's roughly half what similar programs in Washington produce. The real question is why peer program data would suggest such dramatically lower outcomes when comparable Washington schools are placing graduates into a tech ecosystem hungry for programming talent.

Without actual reported data for UW Bothell's program, you're betting on a significant unknown. The wide gap between these estimates and what other Washington programs achieve suggests either these national comparisons don't capture this school's actual performance, or something about the program isn't translating to the strong outcomes typical of Washington tech degrees. Given the 92% admission rate and solid SAT scores, this could be a data artifact rather than reality—but you need to confirm actual graduate outcomes before committing to a program in a state where the competition is producing double these estimated earnings.