Sustainability Studies at Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
56
Optimistic
56
Base Case
53
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,600/yr (12% vs median)
AI Risk
High (44% exposed)
Job Market
Large (45,900 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Sustainability Studies graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $477K | $401K | $318K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 12.8x | 10.8x | 8.6x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 4.3x | 3.6x | 2.9x |
| Viable Career Paths | 8 of 8 | 8 of 8 | 8 of 8 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 56 | 56 | 53 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$37,144
Out-of-state: $111,412
Median Debt at Graduation
$19,086
5.5 months of Year 1 earnings
Career Paths
Where Sustainability Studies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 45,900 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $161,180 | 8,500 | +3.7% | 50% |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $100,340 | 3,200 | -1.7% | 52% |
| Environmental science teachers, postsecondary | $87,710 | 700 | +2.9% | 52% |
| Urban and regional planners | $83,720 | 3,400 | +3.4% | 48% |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | $80,060 | 8,500 | +4.4% | 53% |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $78,490 | 13,500 | +1.8% | 0% |
| Conservation scientists | $67,950 | 2,500 | +3.4% | 52% |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health | $49,490 | 5,600 | +4.0% | 46% |
Compare & Explore
Sustainability Studies at Other Schools
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Sustainability Studies at Western Washington University?
This program scores 56/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 56 (optimistic) to 53 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Sustainability Studies career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Sustainability Studies graduates retain 8 of 8 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $318,121 (pessimistic) to $476,898 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Sustainability Studies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Sustainability Studies have roughly 45,900 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Sustainability Studies at Western Washington University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 10.8x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 8.6x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.