Bellingham, Washington · Public
Area Studies at Western Washington University
Use this school-and-field page as a fit screen, not a department ranking. It combines the 0.3% reported program-share signal, $21,193 school-wide net price, and $62,569 school-wide ten-year earnings before you compare peer schools. The enrollment proxy is about 46 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
Program snapshot
0.3% reported share makes this a small program signal in federal data.
This major
- Program signal
- 0.3%
- Enrollment proxy
- ~46
- Schools with reported signal
- 387
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 93.3%
- Graduation rate
- 64.6%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $21,193/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $84,772
- Median debt
- $18,500
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $62,569/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- C
College Scorecard reports school-wide earnings and price, not per-major outcomes for individual colleges. Program share is a concentration signal, not a promise of department quality. Use it as a proxy, then verify department-level outcomes with the school.
Evidence used here: federal program-share data (0.3%), school-wide average net price ($21,193), school-wide ten-year median earnings ($62,569), and peer averages from 387 schools reporting a positive signal in this field. Evidence not included: department-level salary, placement rate, course quality, licensure eligibility, certification, or exam pass-rate outcomes. This page stays available for users because the program appears in federal data, but it is not promoted for search indexing while the reported share is below 1%.
Value among peer schools
Compared with 387 schools that report this field.
The answer is a value-screen grade of C, not a verified department verdict. The reported share is below the national average concentration; the school-wide net price is lower than the peer average ($400 below), and ten-year median earnings are lower than the peer average ($2,881 below). Together, those evidence points place Western Washington University in the top 54% ROI position within this field set.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below also report a positive program-share signal and are sorted by value grade.
Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA · 0.0% reported share · $2,090 net A+ CUNY Hunter College New York, NY · 0.1% reported share · $2,984 net A+ CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY · 0.0% reported share · $3,103 net A+ CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY · 0.2% reported share · $3,148 net A+ 
Princeton University Princeton, NJ · 1.4% reported share · $6,128 net A+ CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY · 0.2% reported share · $3,203 net A+ CUNY City College New York, NY · 0.3% reported share · $3,776 net A+ Questions about this program
How big is the program signal?
Area Studies accounts for 0.3% of reported programs at Western Washington University, which is bigger than 55% of schools in this field set and below the national average concentration. The enrollment proxy is about 46 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
How should I read the cost number?
Western Washington University's average net price is $21,193 per year, about $84,772 over four years. That is $400 below the $21,593 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $62,569 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $2,881 below the $65,450 average among schools reporting this field, so treat it as an outcomes proxy rather than a department guarantee.
What should I compare next?
Start with program share, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify ranks Western Washington University #210 of 387 schools in this field set by school-wide ROI proxy.