10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$197,470at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · 67 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 65 · Federal debt reported for 50
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$197,470 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
5.6 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+80%Estimated return after 10 years
$89,413Observed earnings · year 5
$66,033Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $49,368 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $19,155 housing and food allowance plus $3,942 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$264,130
$17,000Current college-wide context+$196,130
$18,000Annual price+$192,130
$36,000Annual price+$120,130
$54,000Annual price+$48,130
$72,000Annual price−$23,870
$90,000Annual price−$95,870
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in California run 11% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$16,665Average net price / year
$32,265Cost of attendance
$18,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$196/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$89,413Median earnings · year 5 after completion
86.4%Completion rate
31.3%Admission rate
21,996Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
What does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo cost?
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports an average annual net price of $16,665 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $89,413 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $18,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo worth the same?
No. The current release contains 67 field-and-degree records for California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo; 65 report year-4 earnings and 50 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
24,558Students enrolled at any point
23,408Undergraduate students
1,150Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
83% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
2,165 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
85% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$89,347Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$88,325Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$93,856Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income82%
Middle income85%
Higher income90%
Undergraduate student composition
White48%
Black1%
Hispanic25%
Asian14%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$62,831Year 1
$90,662Year 4
$89,413Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Computer Science · Master's Degree$235,2412Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Master's Degree$158,9773Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$154,7844Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$148,9505Accounting and Related Services · Master's Degree$134,1056Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering · Master's Degree$132,7207Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Master's Degree$131,4488Mechanical Engineering · Master's Degree$127,908Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Graphic CommunicationsBachelor's Degree · $79,432 reported+84%vs same-degree national median$17,961federal debt2PhilosophyBachelor's Degree · $98,592 reported+81%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's Degree · $104,117 reported+63%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree · $110,902 reported+62%vs same-degree national median$17,000federal debt5Computer ScienceMaster's Degree · $235,241 reported+62%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $84,412 reported+57%vs same-degree national median$21,903federal debt
Comparable colleges in CA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
La Jolla, CA
University of California, San Diego
- Annual net price
- $12,470
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $84,593
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +72%
University of California, Berkeley
- Annual net price
- $13,481
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $95,520
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +116%
San Jose State University
- Annual net price
- $13,760
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $80,832
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +52%
University of California, Los Angeles
- Annual net price
- $12,548
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $77,498
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +41%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 67 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Master's Degree | $235,241 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's Degree | $158,977 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $154,784 | $19,298 | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $148,950 | $20,556 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $134,105 | Not available | Not reported |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Master's Degree | $132,720 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $131,448 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $127,908 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $125,240 | $24,449 | Not reported |
| Construction Management | Bachelor's Degree | $118,331 | $18,955 | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Master's Degree | $113,572 | Not available | Not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $112,797 | $19,691 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $110,902 | $17,000 | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $109,232 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $108,148 | Not available | Not reported |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $107,498 | $22,500 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $106,750 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $106,004 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $104,117 | Not available | Not reported |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $102,702 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $101,353 | $17,939 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $101,072 | $20,424 | Not reported |
| Materials Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $100,599 | $17,000 | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $98,927 | $18,500 | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $98,592 | Not available | Not reported |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $96,805 | $23,000 | Not reported |
| Architectural Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $92,767 | $25,116 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $92,603 | $16,420 | Not reported |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Master's Degree | $89,909 | Not available | Not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $89,195 | $18,250 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $88,396 | $14,500 | Not reported |
| Agriculture, General | Bachelor's Degree | $84,412 | $21,903 | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $83,187 | $16,718 | Not reported |
| Plant Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $82,487 | $16,666 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $81,843 | $17,665 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Public Services | Bachelor's Degree | $80,965 | Not available | Not reported |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Bachelor's Degree | $80,820 | $18,167 | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $79,570 | Not available | Not reported |
| Graphic Communications | Bachelor's Degree | $79,432 | $17,961 | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $78,097 | $17,500 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.