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Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 13,574 Undergrads 71.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$28,305
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,680
After Aid
Median Earnings
$62,569
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$18,680
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$62,569
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate71.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.6%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
91.3%
SAT Avg
1,235
SAT Reading
25th: 57061575th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 54058575th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 232675th: 29
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$537k
+$140k
+$52k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$470k
+$73k
-$15k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$435k
+$39k
-$49k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-22%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-49%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return8%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-51%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,567
Earnings (5yr)
$76,780
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$21,727
Earnings (5yr)
$46,798
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,141
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$40,794
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$20,166
Earnings (5yr)
$55,230
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Biological and Physical Sciences
BachCIP: 3001
Median Debt
$19,993
Earnings (2yr)
$16,874
Lifetime Value Added
-$380k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$16,950
Earnings (5yr)
$55,778
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$16,666
Earnings (5yr)
$80,761
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences
BachCIP: 2604
Median Debt
$16,582
Earnings (5yr)
$58,814
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$20,012
Earnings (5yr)
$77,595
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$17,887
Earnings (5yr)
$56,134
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$14,334
Earnings (5yr)
$61,869
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$18,583
Earnings (5yr)
$129,264
Lifetime Value Added
+$494k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$19,833
Earnings (5yr)
$64,470
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$32,409
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$74,441
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$16,585
Earnings (5yr)
$48,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$19,084
Earnings (5yr)
$75,026
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$41,889
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
$19,970
Earnings (5yr)
$54,097
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$22,969
Earnings (5yr)
$56,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$34,704
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$17,660
Earnings (5yr)
$44,144
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
$17,708
Earnings (5yr)
$55,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$17,100
Earnings (5yr)
$45,193
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Human Services, General
BachCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$49,357
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$85,042
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$20,166
Earnings (5yr)
$65,149
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$18,151
Earnings (5yr)
$52,942
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,287
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$19,798
Earnings (5yr)
$41,342
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$21,667
Earnings (5yr)
$87,563
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$17,166
Earnings (5yr)
$70,846
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,781
Earnings (5yr)
$77,518
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1508
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,465
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
BachCIP: 3000
Median Debt
$21,595
Earnings (5yr)
$48,524
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$45,064
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$20,055
Earnings (5yr)
$39,419
Lifetime Value Added
-$195k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$20,352
Earnings (5yr)
$54,496
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$303k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$17,395
Earnings (5yr)
$42,232
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,501
Lifetime Value Added
-$202k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$18,675
Earnings (5yr)
$56,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,654
Earnings (5yr)
$55,357
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$9,369
Earnings (5yr)
$98,502
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$17,604
Earnings (5yr)
$38,281
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$59,430
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$19,207
Earnings (5yr)
$48,943
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,043
Earnings (5yr)
$68,556
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$24,700
Earnings (5yr)
$65,749
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,611
Earnings (5yr)
$115,330
Lifetime Value Added
+$536k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$38,104
Earnings (5yr)
$75,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$78,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$260k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,499
Earnings (5yr)
$75,072
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.