10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$198,104at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
⌖ Arcata, CA · 39 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$198,104 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
67.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−85%Modeled 10-year ROI
$48,458Observed earnings · year 5
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.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$13,171Average net price / year
$25,170Cost of attendance
$48,458Median earnings · year 5 after completion
48.5%Completion rate
98.2%Admission rate
5,612Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$30,678Year 1
$51,571Year 4
$48,458Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Forestry · Bachelor's Degree$79,8492Psychology, General · Master's Degree$79,4293Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$78,2254Natural Resources Conservation and Research · Master's Degree$77,7855Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$74,6206Social Work · Master's Degree$74,2537Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Master's Degree$72,1628Economics · Bachelor's Degree$61,175Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
Oakland, CA
Merritt College
- Annual net price
- $14,021
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,791
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -88%
Los Angeles Harbor College
- Annual net price
- $13,250
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,870
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -92%
Lassen Community College
- Annual net price
- $12,517
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,367
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
Compton College
- Annual net price
- $12,647
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,489
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -94%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forestry | Bachelor's Degree | $79,849 | $22,173 |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $79,429 | Not available |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $78,225 | $24,350 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Master's Degree | $77,785 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $74,620 | $17,750 |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $74,253 | Not available |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Master's Degree | $72,162 | Not available |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $61,175 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $60,005 | $16,000 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $57,953 | $23,286 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $55,707 | $20,200 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $55,222 | $20,113 |
| Criminology | Bachelor's Degree | $55,174 | $16,849 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $53,722 | Not available |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $53,371 | $20,526 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $50,915 | $15,500 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $50,579 | $24,000 |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $50,525 | Not available |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $49,706 | $18,196 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $48,143 | $16,458 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $47,003 | $22,500 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $46,245 | $23,162 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $45,995 | Not available |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,889 | $16,200 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $43,310 | $17,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $43,064 | $15,533 |
| Botany/Plant Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $42,743 | Not available |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $42,119 | $15,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $42,049 | $16,000 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $41,994 | $19,159 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $41,464 | $18,150 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $41,105 | $16,500 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $40,566 | Not available |
| Journalism | Bachelor's Degree | $39,178 | $22,300 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $38,495 | $20,690 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $34,812 | $17,500 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $19,083 |
| Geography and Cartography | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $17,412 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $23,164 |
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.