Get answers to your questions with ERDC dashboards

Summary

Do you have questions about Washington’s education system? ERDC’s dashboards have answers.

Here are some questions you can ask and answer using our dashboards: 

How do postsecondary graduate earnings compare to high school graduate only earnings?

As a statewide average, this line charts shows four groups' earnings in the years following high school graduation. The four groups are those with a high school diploma, an associate's degree or certificate, a bachelor's degree or higher, or have completed an apprenticeship. Fifteen years after high school graduation, average earnings are: $111.1K for apprenticeships, $88.3K for bachelor's degree and higher, $61.3K for associate's degree or certificates, and $51.8K for high school diplomas.

  • On average, those with credentials, such as an apprenticeship completion, bachelor’s degree or higher, associate’s degree, or certificate, out-earn high school graduates, and this earnings difference tends to widen over time. 

  • See more answers like these (and notes about the data and definitions used) in the High School Graduate Outcomes dashboard. For this question specifically, explore the Median Earnings section.  

What do postsecondary graduates earn?

  • For example, what can a graduate of a biological/biomedical sciences program expect to earn in the first ten years of their career in Washington state? Earnings for those with biology/biomedical bachelor’s degrees start at a median of $38.5K in the first year of employment after college graduation, then increase to a median of $91.5K in the tenth year of employment.  

  • See more answers like these (and notes about the data and definitions used) in the Earnings for Graduates dashboard. For this question specifically, visit the Major section. 

What are postsecondary persistence rates across student populations in my area? 

  • For example, in Bethel School District, at what rate do Black students continue (persist) to be enrolled at college in the second year after they graduate high school? In Bethel, persistence rates for Black students have increased over the last two years and for the class of 2023, 84% of Black students enrolled at four-year institutions persist.

  • See more answers like these (and notes about the data and definitions used) in the High School Graduate Outcomes dashboard. For this question specifically, visit the Persistence and Retention section and choose the Race/Ethnicity tab. Then choose “Bethel - District Wide” from the Select a Unit dropdown.  

How do dual credit programs in my school district compare to statewide averages?

  • For example, in Auburn, a higher percentage of students in the 2024 Cohort Year are enrolled in Career & Technical (CTE), Advanced Placement (AP), and Running Start (RS) programs than the statewide average. 

  • See more answers like these (and notes about the data and definitions used) in the Dual Credit dashboard. For this question specifically, visit the Student Groups section and set District/Region to “Auburn School District.” 

 

And there are many more questions you can answer! While the above topics focus on high school and postsecondary trends, we also have an early learning dashboard, statewide public four-year dashboard, and public four-year finance dashboard. ERDC also recently released its Student Pathways tool, which shows student transitions, starting from preschool through the workforce.