U.S. median for this major: $74,373.
College Scorecard field of study; 162 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 24% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,903.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,816. College Scorecard.
CWU Accounting: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses CWU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,846 | $52,478 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $13,942 | $61,763 | 1.8 years |
| $48–75k | $16,022 | $70,977 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $21,682 | $96,051 | 2.8 years |
| $110k+ | $26,719 | $118,365 | 3.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (32% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Accounting graduates 4 years after graduating ($74,442) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $34,223 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting at Washington colleges
Every Washington college we cover that reports Accounting graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle University | $97,466 | $23,734 | $34,662 | 76% |
| 2 | Gonzaga University | $96,396 | $24,250 | $35,119 | 86% |
| 3 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $88,393 | $17,083 | $14,091 | 85% |
| 4 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | $88,393 | $17,083 | $12,319 | 65% |
| 5 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | $88,393 | $17,083 | $10,163 | 63% |
| 6 | Western Washington University | $82,246 | $20,567 | $21,193 | 65% |
| 7 | Seattle Pacific University | $80,110 | — | $24,488 | 62% |
| 8 | Washington State University | $75,980 | $25,000 | $14,971 | 61% |
| 9 | Eastern Washington University | $75,927 | $18,000 | $13,886 | 43% |
| 10 | Central Washington University | $74,442 | $17,650 | $18,476 | 54% |
| 11 | Whitworth University | $71,562 | $27,000 | $26,534 | 71% |
| 12 | Whitworth University-Adult Degree Programs | $71,562 | $27,000 | — | — |
| 13 | Bellevue Collegemostly 2-year | $70,258 | — | $11,430 | 36% |
| 14 | Saint Martin's University | $61,432 | — | $28,119 | 52% |
5 more Washington colleges offer Accounting but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Accounting graduates
Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial and Investment Analysts
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at CWU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About CWU
- Acceptance rate: 91% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 54% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $61,580
- Full cost breakdown · all 113 majors · overview
Related majors at CWU
- Finance—
- Business Administration$73,036
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Business—
- Business Economics—
- Marketing—
CWU Accounting questions
How much do CWU Accounting graduates earn?
Accounting graduates of Central Washington University earn a median $74,442 four years after graduating and $55,215 one year after. The U.S. median for Accounting graduates across 741 colleges is $74,373.
How much debt do CWU Accounting graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Accounting graduates of Central Washington University is $17,650, about 24% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,903.
Is CWU a good school for Accounting in Washington?
On pay, Accounting graduates of Central Washington University earn $74,442 four years out, $3,603 below the median for the same major across 14 Washington colleges ($78,045) and $69 above the U.S. median ($74,373). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does CWU rank for Accounting in Washington?
Of 14 Washington colleges reporting Accounting graduate earnings, Central Washington University ranks 10th. The highest is Seattle University at $97,466.
What jobs do Accounting graduates get?
A common career is accountant / auditor, with a median wage of $96,550 in Washington and $83,680 nationally. Others include financial managers and financial and investment analysts.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Central Washington University Accounting: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/central-washington-university/majors/accounting (College Scorecard and BLS data).