Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at University of Washington-Seattle Campus

UW Seattle's Health Sciences program graduates with remarkably low debt—$13,332 compared to $26,690 nationally—but those savings come at the cost of an unusually sluggish start. That first-year salary of $36,957 sits right at Washington's median, yet Seattle Central College graduates in the same field earn nearly double that immediately after graduation. The concerning gap isn't just about Seattle Central being an outlier; even UW's own Bothell campus matches the Seattle campus in earnings despite potentially lower attendance costs.

The numbers improve significantly by year four, with earnings climbing to $48,875 (a solid 32% jump). That growth suggests graduates are finding their footing in healthcare roles, though the delayed trajectory raises questions about the types of positions immediately available to new grads. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36 looks healthy on paper, particularly with debt in the 95th percentile nationally (meaning lower than most), but parents should understand their student will likely spend those early years at relatively modest wages in an expensive Seattle market.

For families prioritizing a well-known university name with minimal debt burden, this works—your child won't be crushed by loans while building healthcare experience. But if maximizing immediate earning potential matters, particularly given Seattle's cost of living, other Washington programs deliver faster returns. The UW brand and low debt make this defensible, just not a standout value among state alternatives.