Accounting at Warner Pacific University Professional and Graduate Studies

Warner Pacific's accounting graduates start at a respectable $54,626, but here's the concern: they're carrying $42,765 in debt—nearly double what accounting students typically borrow in Oregon. That 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates face debt equal to about 9 months of their first-year salary, a heavier burden than at peer institutions. Among Oregon's 15 accounting programs, Warner Pacific ranks in the 40th percentile for earnings, trailing Portland State, University of Oregon, and several private competitors by $3,000-$5,000 annually.

The earnings trajectory shows steady growth to $61,317 by year four, which is positive. However, when Oregon accounting graduates at George Fox University start near $60,000 and those at Portland State earn $58,000 from day one, Warner Pacific's students need several years just to reach their peers' starting salaries—all while servicing significantly higher debt loads.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty to these figures, but the debt differential is too large to ignore. If your child has admission offers from Portland State or other Oregon public universities, the lower debt and comparable earnings make those safer bets. Warner Pacific might work if they're receiving substantial grant aid that brings debt closer to the state average of $26,000, but at full borrowing, this creates an unnecessarily difficult financial start.