Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of Washington-Bothell Campus

UW Bothell's electrical engineering program matches the flagship Seattle campus's outcomes at $81,989 starting salary while being dramatically more accessible—with a 92% admission rate versus Seattle's single-digit acceptance. That's a rare combination: top-tier engineering results without the admissions lottery. The $15,000 median debt is exceptional, landing in the 5th percentile nationally for this field, where $25,000 is typical.

Within Washington state, this program sits at the 60th percentile, which means it's competitive but not elite locally. However, the state's engineering programs cluster tightly at the top—the gap between UW Bothell and the state median is less than $1,000. More importantly, graduates here outpace the national median by over $4,000 annually while carrying 40% less debt than typical engineering grads nationwide. Four-year earnings grow to nearly $93,000, a solid 13% increase that suggests stable career progression.

For families, this is straightforward value: your student gets University of Washington engineering credentials and outcomes with far lower debt and admission stress than the Seattle campus. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.18 means graduates owe less than two months' salary—easily manageable on an engineering income. If your child has strong academics (note the 1376 average SAT) but isn't chasing Seattle's hyper-competitive admissions, Bothell delivers essentially the same financial outcome with significantly less risk.