UW, Pacific Lutheran University make list of graduates with high starting salary
Graduates of the University of Washington earn a higher average starting salary than those of any other college or university in the state, according to an analysis by a financial technology company.
SmartAsset used in-state tuition, scholarships, average student living costs, student retention rate and average starting salary to rank schools in an index where the top spot has a score of 100.
The UW shows an average starting salary of $49,300 — higher than the national average of $43,242 but lower than the school at the top of the index. That spot is held by the University of Michigan, with an average starting salary of $54,000.
The only Pierce County school to make the list was Pacific Lutheran University, ranked No. 9 on the state index with an average starting salary of $42,300. See the charts for more details, or go to smartasset.com/student-loans.
WASHINGTON STATE RANKINGS
Rank | School | City | Avg. Scholarships and Grants | Avg. Starting Salary | College Tuition* | Student Living Costs | Student Retention Rate | Starting Salary Index |
1 | University of Washington | Seattle | $13,441 | $49,300 | $12,383 | $13,683 | 93% | 41.35 |
2 | DeVry University | Federal Way | n/a | $47,500 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 37.55 |
3 | Gonzaga University | Spokane | $16,515 | $46,200 | $33,652 | $13,981 | 94% | 34.81 |
4 | Washington State University | Pullman | $9,800 | $45,900 | $12,300 | $15,368 | 80% | 34.18 |
5 | Seattle University | Seattle | $17,661 | $44,900 | $34,800 | $15,810 | 86% | 32.07 |
6 | Central Washington University | Ellensburg | $7,806 | $44,100 | $8,925 | $13,214 | 74% | 30.38 |
7 | Western Washington University | Bellingham | $7,836 | $42,700 | $8,805 | $13,414 | 83% | 27.43 |
8 | Eastern Washington University | Cheney | $8,483 | $42,600 | $7,933 | $13,062 | 75% | 27.22 |
9 | Pacific Lutheran University | Tacoma | $17,664 | $42,300 | $33,100 | $13,630 | 82% | 26.58 |
10 | Walla Walla University | College Place | $10,121 | $41,600 | $24,900 | $10,059 | 77% | 25.11 |
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Rank | School | City | Avg. Scholarships and Grants | Avg. Starting Salary | College Tuition* | Student Living Costs | Student Retention Rate | College Education Value Index |
1 | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $13,992 | $54,000 | $12,994 | $12,854 | 97% | 100.00 |
2 | Colorado School of Mines | Golden, CO | $8,507 | $66,700 | $15,654 | $12,966 | 92% | 99.72 |
3 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA | $8,510 | $60,700 | $10,098 | $14,360 | 96% | 99.02 |
4 | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | $15,508 | $51,000 | $12,216 | $13,485 | 97% | 97.57 |
5 | Pomona College | Claremont, CA | $36,413 | $48,500 | $41,438 | $9,808 | 97% | 95.28 |
6 | University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | $15,764 | $54,700 | $12,874 | $15,615 | 96% | 94.34 |
7 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | $33,030 | $68,600 | $42,050 | $17,014 | 98% | 93.83 |
8 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | $29,314 | $68,400 | $39,588 | $16,443 | 97% | 92.39 |
9 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE | $13,765 | $50,300 | $11,682 | $13,058 | 92% | 91.84 |
10 | Texas A&M University | College Station, TX | $8,440 | $51,900 | $8,506 | $12,406 | 91% | 91.58 |
Nationwide | $9,686 | $43,242 | $16,190 | $13,499 | 71% |
*In-state tuition where applicable
Source: SmartAsset
This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 5:41 AM with the headline "UW, Pacific Lutheran University make list of graduates with high starting salary."