The Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington · Public · 96.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 22/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington scores 22 in the Below Benchmark tier - a result that reflects the structural mismatch between Evergreen's distinctive academic philosophy and a financial-outcome scoring framework. The school is famously interdisciplinary, narrative-evaluation-only (no traditional grades), and oriented toward self-directed learning rather than career credentialing. Tuition in-state is $9,264 (out-of-state $31,905), but the net price after aid jumps to $24,319, well above tuition because of substantial room/board and fee components. Four-year cost is $97,276. The earnings outcomes are weak: average $28,400 at six years rising to a median of just $45,320 at ten - the typical pattern of liberal-arts-only graduates without specialized professional credentials. The school's 23-year payback period and 0.722 debt-to-earnings ratio are measured against $20,500 of median debt. Completion is 40.7%. Repayment at 60.4% is weak. Evergreen has a real and respected role in American higher ed for students who want self-directed liberal arts - but on financial-outcome metrics, its scores are low.
How The Evergreen State College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score22/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period23 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
The Evergreen State College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,264/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $31,905/yr |
| Average net price | $24,319/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $97,276 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,320 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $217 |
| Estimated payback period | 23 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 40.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,160 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $9,264/year ($31,905/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $24,319/year, or roughly $97,276 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $22,079/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $28,477/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,500, which works out to about $217 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,400) and comes to 0.72, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $22,079 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,607 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $25,723 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $27,346 |
| $110,001+ | $28,477 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $22,079 net per year - steep for low-income households. Pell ($7,395 max) and Washington College Grant aid stack here, but the actual out-of-pocket remains high. Across four years the $88K total is significant for any low-income family, and combined with the 40.7% completion rate, the modal outcome is borrowed money and no degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Brackets behave normally: $30,001-$48,000 pays $22,607, $48,001-$75,000 pays $25,723, $75,001-$110,000 pays $27,346. Middle-income families face $90K-$109K over four years for a school with 41% completion and $28K six-year average earnings. The math is poor regardless of bracket.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,001+ pay $28,477. At $114K over four years for outcomes that lag every other Washington public, this only makes sense for families specifically committed to Evergreen's unique academic model and not optimizing for financial value.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at The Evergreen State College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $42,219 | D |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | $48,623 | D |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts is by far Evergreen's largest program - 363 graduates per year, reflecting the school's interdisciplinary structure where most students end up classified under this CIP code. Earnings of $26,328 first-year and $42,219 four-year against $21,354 debt yield a 0.811 debt-to-earnings ratio and D grade. The slow earnings ramp into year four suggests graduates eventually find their footing in nonprofit, education, and government roles, but the early years are very tough financially. Students entering this program need a clear plan for graduate school or a specific career pathway.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies (95 graduates) shows $27,555 first-year and $48,623 four-year earnings against $22,346 debt - a 0.811 ratio and D grade. The four-year earnings ramp is meaningful (76% growth) and signals that graduates do build careers, often in environmental, education, and creative-class sectors. But the debt load relative to entry-level earnings is heavy. Students choosing this program need to be deliberate about portfolio-building, internships, and post-graduation pathways.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 53.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 60.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How The Evergreen State College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 96.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 495-590 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 540-663 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 23-29 |
| Enrollment | 2,160 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,212 |
Evergreen admits 96.4% of applicants - effectively unconditional admission. SAT mid-50% bands run Math 495-590 and Reading 540-663; ACT 23-29. The Reading 25th-percentile of 540 is high relative to the very-loose acceptance rate, suggesting the applicant pool self-selects toward verbal-strong students drawn to the experimental academic model. The 40.7% completion rate signals that even self-selected students often don't finish at Evergreen.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Evergreen State College (this school) | 22 | $24,319 | $45,320 |
| Central Washington University | 68 | $18,476 | $61,580 |
| Eastern Washington University | 66 | $13,886 | $57,897 |
| Cameron University | 20 | $10,912 | $40,118 |
| University of Guam | 20 | $8,598 | $35,946 |
| Shawnee State University | 18 | $14,381 | $39,596 |
Who Thrives Here
Evergreen fits a very specific student: someone who explicitly rejects traditional grading and discipline-based majors, wants to design their own academic program, and is willing to forego career-track credentials in pursuit of intellectual self-direction. Enrollment of 2,160 with a 41.6% Pell rate signals a distinctive student body that's both heterogeneous and ideologically self-selected. The school does have a small but real pipeline into environmental nonprofits, education, and graduate school for students who finish strong. But on a financial-outcome basis, the data does not support attendance for students optimizing for career or earnings.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, The Evergreen State College scores 22/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,319 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,320 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 23 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 40.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 60.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
The Evergreen State College: Common Questions
Is The Evergreen State College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. The Evergreen State College scores 22/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,319 a year after aid against $45,320 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 23 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does The Evergreen State College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $24,319 a year, or roughly $97,276 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do The Evergreen State College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,320 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,520 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off The Evergreen State College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 23 years for The Evergreen State College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do The Evergreen State College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,500, against average earnings of $28,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at The Evergreen State College?
The six-year graduation rate is 40.7%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.