Public Graduate Fair 49/100

The Evergreen State College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Olympia, Washington

About The Evergreen State College

Thinking about The Evergreen State College, a college in Washington where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

The Evergreen State College is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Olympia, Washington. It enrolls 2,160 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
96.4%
Graduation
54.6%
Net Price
$24,319
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,320
Enrollment
2,160
Student : Faculty
20:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar Quarter

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Fair
49/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 21
Value 15
Affordability 51
Selectivity 30

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

The Evergreen State College admits 96.4% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
96.4%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1035 – 1253
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
23 – 29
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether The Evergreen State College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 0.6 pts since 2019
97.9%201998.4%202099.5%202197.4%202297.2%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $24,319 a year on average, it sits in line with what public colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$24,319
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
42%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
40%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$9,264
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$31,905
Room & Board (on-campus)
$14,589
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,310
Books & Supplies
$528
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,624
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,746
Total Cost of Attendance
$28,477

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $22,079
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $22,607
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $25,723
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $27,346
  • Over $110,000
    $28,477

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,992
10% percentile
$5,594
25% percentile
$20,500
Median percentile
$21,291
75% percentile
$29,300
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,326 ↓ $4,174
No Pell $12,500 ↓ $8,000
Dependent students $12,960 ↓ $7,540
Independent students $18,878 ↓ $1,622
Female students $15,000 ↓ $5,500
Male students $15,650 ↓ $4,850
Pell recipients: 17.9% (3,665 students)No Pell: 13.7% (2,806 students)Dependent students: 14.2% (2,910 students)Independent students: 20.7% (4,238 students)Female students: 16.4% (3,368 students)Male students: 17.1% (3,513 students)Overall Median$20,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,011, less than completers ($20,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

55% of students who start here finish within six years, and 69% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
55%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
69%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,320 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,320
Earning > $25K
69%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$33,000$37,000$40,000$43,000$47,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,500

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$40,100

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$34,900

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$39,700

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$37,800

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $5,600, about 14% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 22.0 pts across 6 years
53.2%1yr60.4%3yr70.4%5yr75.1%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 75% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,160 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 30% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
2,160
Part-Time
9%
First-Generation
30%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 56.4% 1,219
Hispanic 15.3% 331
Other 12.3% 266
Black 7.2% 156
Asian 2.0% 44
White: 56.4% (1,219 students)Hispanic: 15.3% (331 students)Other: 12.3% (266 students)Black: 7.2% (156 students)Asian: 2.0% (44 students)Total2,160

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at The Evergreen State College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize Suburb Olympia, Washington
Housing
Partly residential 520 beds available
Adult Learners
41% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Interdisciplinary Studies graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

The Evergreen State College offers a focused set of programs: 8 distinct programs across 8 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

1 Program
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 20 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
20:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$12,086
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$22M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$82,225
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

95 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
No Rank 95 100% $82,225

Pros & Cons of The Evergreen State College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where The Evergreen State College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for: Based on the data, The Evergreen State College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Evergreen State College

The questions families ask most about The Evergreen State College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is The Evergreen State College hard to get into?
Not especially. The Evergreen State College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 96.4%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at The Evergreen State College?
96.4% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for The Evergreen State College?
Aim for 1253 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1035 and 1253 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for The Evergreen State College?
Aim for 29 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 23 and 29 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does The Evergreen State College cost?
Budget around $24,319 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is The Evergreen State College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,320 a year against a net price of $24,319, about 1.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is The Evergreen State College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences, Public Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do The Evergreen State College graduates earn?
About $45,320 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is The Evergreen State College accredited?
Yes. The Evergreen State College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend The Evergreen State College?
2,160 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at The Evergreen State College?
55% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is The Evergreen State College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is The Evergreen State College located?
The Evergreen State College is located in Olympia, Washington.
What programs does The Evergreen State College offer?
8 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences, Public Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at The Evergreen State College?
20 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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