Seattle, US · 21 months · class of 102
Washington Foster MBA: cost, salary and payback
A Seattle program where 40.5% of graduates took technology jobs, more than at any other American school on this site, for tuition below most two-year programs.
Paid back after graduation in
5.7 years
Total cost $338,181 · 10-year NPV $58,062
| Tuition and fees, whole program | $123,428 |
| Living budget | $82,168 |
| Salary given up, 21 months | $157,500 |
| Summer internship earned | −$24,915 |
| Total cost | $338,181 |
| Salary after: median base salary | $142,800 |
| 10-year net present value | $58,062 |
| Return on the cost (present values) | 17% |
US dollars at the ECB rate of the last update. Raises of 5% a year with the MBA and 3% without, discounted at 5%, before tax. How this is calculated.
Fees and budget read on October 13, 2026 · employment: Class of 2025 (MBA CSEA standard) · Built by Radif Partners · Method
- Tuition and fees
- $123,428
- Total cost, salary given up included
- $338,181
- median base salary
- $142,800
- Payback, reference person
- 5.7 years
The full-time MBA at the University of Washington's Foster School costs $120,360 in tuition at the non-resident and international rate, plus $3,068 of fees, and the school estimates $82,168 for living costs over two twelve-month years, for $205,596 in all. For a person earning $90,000 today, the 21 months away add $157,500, the paid summer internship gives back about $24,915, and the total comes to $338,181. The class of 2025 reported a median base salary of $142,800, which repays that total 5.7 years after graduation and leaves a ten-year net present value of $58,062. What sets Foster apart is technology: 40.5% of the class went into the industry, the largest share of any American school on this site, and it ranks number 6 of 40 in our tech ranking.
The most technology-heavy class of the American schools here
40.5% of the graduates who took a job went into technology, a larger share than at any other American school whose report we read, and the employers the school names start with Amazon, Microsoft Corporation, Google and Apple. The technology median, $142,800, is the same as the school-wide median, so the payback on a technology career is 5.7 years for the reference person. Consumer goods and retail add 12.2%, number 3 of 21 in our consumer ranking, and by function marketing and sales roles take 27%, number 4 of 29 for marketing careers. A candidate set on product management in a large technology company should also read the product manager guide.
Washington Foster: where the class went
Share of the class
25.7%
| Salary reported | $175,000 |
| Graduates, about | 26 |
| Payback with that salary | 3.8 years |
Reference person earning $90,000 before the MBA.
Consulting pays more, finance much less
Consulting took 25.7% of the class at $175,000, the highest median in the report, and on that salary the payback falls to 3.8 years. Finance is a small group at 5.4%, and its median of $119,000 is below the school-wide figure, which stretches the payback to 8.8 years. For banking or investment careers, the finance ranking shows schools that place far more graduates there.
Low tuition, a generous living estimate
Only 2 of the 32 two-year American programs on this site charge less in tuition and fees than Foster, and the rate is the same for both years of a class. Washington residents pay less. The living estimate goes the other way: the school prices a full twelve months twice, although the program runs 21 months, so $82,168 is an upper figure, and only 6 American schools on this site publish a higher one. The internship softens the bill: the class of 2026 reported a median of $9,966 a month, and only 4 of the 20 schools on this site that publish internship pay report more. 84% of graduates took jobs in Washington State, the only location the school gives, so the share working in the United States is at least that. The class is 51% women, the highest share of any American school on this site.
Washington Foster: when the MBA pays back, for your salary
Payback after graduation
5.7 years
| Total cost with the salary given up | $338,181 |
| Salary after (median base salary) | $142,800 |
| 10-year NPV | $58,062 |
Same assumptions as the main calculator; US dollars.
Where Washington Foster stands in our rankings
- #27 of 40 · Any industry (whole class)
- #22 of 38 · Consulting
- #37 of 39 · Finance, all segments
- #6 of 40 · Technology
- #27 of 39 · Working in the United States
Our fit score, reference person earning $90,000 before the MBA (method). Third-party rankings play no part in it.
What the Washington Foster MBA costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, whole program | $120,360 |
| Mandatory fees | $3,068 |
| Living budget, whole program | $82,168 |
| Salary given up: $90,000 a year for 21 months | $157,500 |
| Summer internship earned | −$24,915 |
| Total cost, reference person | $338,181 |
Washington Foster employment report: Class of 2025
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median base salary | $142,800 |
| Summer internship, per month (median) | $9,966 |
| Graduates who employed within three months | 77.9% |
Washington Foster graduates by industry
| Industry, as the school names it | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | 40.5% | $142,800 |
| Consulting | 25.7% | $175,000 |
| Retail + Consumer Products | 12.2% | not published |
| Media/Entertainment + Other | 6.8% | not published |
| Financial Services | 5.4% | $119,000 |
| Manufacturing | 5.4% | $135,000 |
| Healthcare | 2.7% | not published |
| Government | 1.4% | not published |
Where Washington Foster graduates went to work
| Region | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| US (US West) | 84% | not published |
Washington Foster graduates by job function
| Function | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 29.7% | $175,000 |
| Marketing/Sales | 27% | $135,000 |
| General Management | 17.6% | $142,800 |
| Finance/Accounting | 13.5% | $135,000 |
| Operations/Logistics | 9.5% | $142,650 |
| Information Technology | 2.7% | not published |
Employers named by Washington Foster
Amazon · Microsoft Corporation · Google · Apple · Adobe · McKinsey & Company · The Boston Consulting Group · Deloitte · Kearney · Boeing · Nike · Goldman Sachs
Names only: the school gives no hire counts.
The Washington Foster class
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| International students | 56% |
| Women | 51% |
| Average age | 29 |
| Average years of work experience | 6 |
| GMAT median | 655 |
| Class size | 102 |