10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$48,718at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
California State University, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · 56 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 53 · Federal debt reported for 38
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$48,718 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
13.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−25%Estimated return after 10 years
$59,715Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
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: $20,190 housing and food allowance plus $6,972 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−$32,850
$4,000Current college-wide context−$48,850
$8,000Annual price−$64,850
$16,000Annual price−$96,850
$24,000Annual price−$128,850
$32,000Annual price−$160,850
$40,000Annual price−$192,850
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
- City
- 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
$3,967Average net price / year
$18,403Cost of attendance
$13,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$138/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$59,715Median earnings · year 5 after completion
53.0%Completion rate
91.3%Admission rate
19,562Student 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 State University, Los Angeles
What does California State University, Los Angeles cost?
California State University, Los Angeles reports an average annual net price of $3,967 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do California State University, Los Angeles graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $59,715 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do California State University, Los Angeles graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $13,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at California State University, Los Angeles worth the same?
No. The current release contains 56 field-and-degree records for California State University, Los Angeles; 53 report year-4 earnings and 38 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
25,500Students enrolled at any point
21,524Undergraduate students
3,976Graduate 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
68% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
87 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
58% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$58,186Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$61,199Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$61,353Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income55%
Middle income62%
Higher income64%
Undergraduate student composition
White4%
Black4%
Hispanic78%
Asian10%
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
$37,248Year 1
$59,756Year 4
$59,715Year 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.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$137,1842Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$126,6113Civil Engineering · Master's Degree$120,6514Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Master's Degree$118,0585Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$116,1826Special Education and Teaching · Master's Degree$104,2087Communication Disorders Sciences and Services · Master's Degree$101,0948Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$96,014Observed 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.
1Special Education and TeachingMaster's Degree · $104,208 reported+62%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesMaster's Degree · $101,094 reported+51%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's Degree · $88,659 reported+47%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree · $116,182 reported+31%vs same-degree national median$18,964federal debt5Education, GeneralMaster's Degree · $84,668 reported+29%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Nutrition SciencesMaster's Degree · $82,455 reported+23%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal 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.
Saratoga, CA
West Valley College
- Annual net price
- $3,423
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $57,150
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -37%
Santa Rosa Junior College
- Annual net price
- $6,331
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $58,892
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -32%
California State University, Stanislaus
- Annual net price
- $6,067
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,851
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -22%
California State University, Northridge
- Annual net price
- $7,021
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,117
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -27%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $137,184 | Not available | 21 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $126,611 | Not available | 0 |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $120,651 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's Degree | $118,058 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $116,182 | $18,964 | 0 |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $104,208 | Not available | 0 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $101,094 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $96,014 | $14,676 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $94,760 | $18,767 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $93,028 | $13,000 | Not reported |
| Security Science and Technology | Master's Degree | $92,683 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $90,351 | Not available | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $88,659 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $87,525 | $15,321 | Not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $86,970 | $15,883 | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $84,668 | Not available | Not reported |
| Nutrition Sciences | Master's Degree | $82,455 | Not available | Not reported |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $78,135 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $72,670 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $70,677 | $13,053 | Not reported |
| Air Transportation | Bachelor's Degree | $70,508 | $15,132 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $69,022 | $13,000 | 0 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $67,441 | $16,730 | Not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Bachelor's Degree | $65,366 | $19,334 | Not reported |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $63,878 | Not available | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Master's Degree | $62,904 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $62,716 | $13,750 | 0 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Master's Degree | $60,235 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $59,904 | $15,171 | 3 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $59,545 | $11,000 | 0 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $57,695 | $12,812 | Not reported |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $56,466 | $12,500 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $56,063 | $10,614 | Not reported |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $55,970 | $22,500 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $55,413 | $14,721 | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $54,998 | $11,000 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $54,695 | $11,679 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $53,908 | $13,000 | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $53,857 | $12,500 | 4 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $53,127 | Not available | 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 State University, Los Angeles 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.