Western Washington University: Economics

Bachelor's degree · CIP 45.06 · No credentials fully online · Bellingham, WA

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $48,368 one year after completing and $64,123 four years after. The median federal loan debt of graduates was $19,500. Nationally, graduates of bachelor's degree programs in this field earned a median of $60,917 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$48,368
65 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
$64,123
Verified data
Median federal debt
$19,500
33 borrowers Verified data
Debt to first-year earnings
0.40x
median debt / median earnings Calculated estimate

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$48,368$60,917
Median earnings 4 years after completion$64,123$82,686
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)$19,500$19,500 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)$222
Graduates in the most recent year4934,393 across 821 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA · Private, nonprofit
$154,591Data unavailable
Duke University
NC · Private, nonprofit
$124,433$13,500
Harvard University
MA · Private, nonprofit
$120,683$14,000
Dartmouth College
NH · Private, nonprofit
$115,308$14,833
Amherst College
MA · Private, nonprofit
$109,806$19,500
Brown University
RI · Private, nonprofit
$108,964$12,000
Yale University
CT · Private, nonprofit
$108,619$15,000
Stanford University
CA · Private, nonprofit
$108,498Data unavailable
Princeton University
NJ · Private, nonprofit
$108,471Data unavailable
Williams College
MA · Private, nonprofit
$105,744$9,750

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Western Washington University Economics (Bachelor's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence