Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Whitman College

Whitman College's selective liberal arts program comes with an estimated $33,410 in debt—substantially higher than the state median of $22,881 for similar programs, despite estimated first-year earnings of just $35,398 that track exactly with Washington's median. While these figures are derived from comparable Washington programs rather than Whitman's actual graduate outcomes, the nearly 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests a challenging first year financially, particularly when peer institutions like Whitworth and WSU report actual earnings in the low-to-mid $40,000s for their liberal arts graduates.

The contrast is stark for a school with Whitman's profile: a 1365 average SAT score and 50% admission rate signal academic rigor, yet the estimated earnings don't reflect a premium for that selectivity. The relatively low Pell grant percentage (15%) indicates a wealthier student body that may have family resources to buffer the debt load, but for students relying on loans, the numbers suggest a concerning mismatch between borrowing and immediate earning power.

For families considering this program, the key question is whether Whitman's broader educational experience justifies potentially above-average debt for below-peer-average starting earnings. The absence of reported data makes it impossible to know if Whitman's actual graduates fare better or worse than these state estimates suggest, but comparable programs show a wide range—from $35,000 to nearly $47,000—meaning outcomes can vary significantly even within the same field and state.