International Business at Western Washington University

Western Washington's International Business program starts rough but rebounds impressively. That $38,412 first-year salary ranks bottom quartile nationally and puts graduates $10,000 behind the Washington state median. But four years out, earnings jump 58% to $60,844—ultimately exceeding both state and national benchmarks. This suggests the degree opens doors that take time to walk through, possibly requiring graduates to work their way up from entry-level positions or relocate to major markets.

The debt picture is reasonable at $22,250, slightly below national norms and manageable with a 0.58 ratio to first-year earnings. The real question is whether your family can weather those early years when your graduate might be living on $3,200 monthly before taxes while making loan payments. Students at North Seattle College earn $16,000 more right out of the gate with similar debt, though that's a two-year program with different career pathways.

This program could work for students with financial cushion or family support during the lean early years, especially if they're targeting careers where experience matters more than immediate credentials. But if your child needs to be financially independent quickly, the delayed earnings trajectory presents real challenges—they'll spend their mid-twenties playing catch-up while peers from other programs or schools hit their stride earlier.