10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$36,576at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · 85 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 85 · Federal debt reported for 59
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$36,576 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
11.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−15%Estimated return after 10 years
$65,488Observed earnings · year 5
$6,220Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $9,144 per year to reach it.
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: $17,672 housing and food allowance plus $5,376 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+$24,880
$8,000Annual price−$7,120
$15,000Current college-wide context−$35,120
$16,000Current college-wide context−$39,120
$24,000Annual price−$71,120
$32,000Annual price−$103,120
$40,000Annual price−$135,120
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
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
$15,364Average net price / year
$27,780Cost of attendance
$15,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$159/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$65,488Median earnings · year 5 after completion
76.4%Completion rate
36.2%Admission rate
35,377Student 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 San Diego State University
What does San Diego State University cost?
San Diego State University reports an average annual net price of $15,364 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do San Diego State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $65,488 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do San Diego State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $15,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at San Diego State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 85 field-and-degree records for San Diego State University; 85 report year-4 earnings and 59 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
44,673Students enrolled at any point
38,492Undergraduate students
6,181Graduate 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
82% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
2,066 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
65% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$63,411Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$63,106Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$71,095Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income62%
Middle income67%
Higher income71%
Undergraduate student composition
White34%
Black3%
Hispanic37%
Asian13%
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
$42,235Year 1
$68,268Year 4
$65,488Year 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$165,5642Educational Administration and Supervision · Doctoral Degree$158,0133Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$120,7994Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$120,6825Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$116,8426Psychology, General · Master's Degree$111,5497Finance and Financial Management Services · Master's Degree$110,8308Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$106,416Observed 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.
1Psychology, GeneralMaster's Degree · $111,549 reported+72%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Educational Administration and SupervisionDoctoral Degree · $158,013 reported+57%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's Degree · $165,564 reported+38%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree · $120,799 reported+36%vs same-degree national median$18,875federal debt5Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftMaster's Degree · $67,588 reported+35%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesMaster's Degree · $73,113 reported+33%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.
Rohnert Park, CA
Sonoma State University
- Annual net price
- $12,885
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $65,250
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -13%
University of California, Riverside
- Annual net price
- $14,304
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $63,411
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -22%
University of California, Santa Cruz
- Annual net price
- $17,890
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,162
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -24%
California State University, Chico
- Annual net price
- $14,480
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,509
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -26%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 85 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 | $165,564 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $158,013 | Not available | 48 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $120,799 | $18,875 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $120,682 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $116,842 | $16,248 | 0 |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $111,549 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $110,830 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $106,416 | $18,165 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $103,392 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $100,586 | $16,499 | Not reported |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Bachelor's Degree | $100,564 | Not available | Not reported |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $100,139 | $23,000 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $97,825 | $19,994 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $95,865 | $19,832 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Master's Degree | $94,199 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $91,303 | Not available | Not reported |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $88,417 | $19,089 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $88,136 | $15,000 | 1 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $87,991 | Not available | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Doctoral Degree | $87,179 | Not available | 37 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $86,613 | $16,375 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Master's Degree | $84,280 | Not available | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $84,034 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $83,325 | Not available | Not reported |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $83,076 | $16,047 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $82,905 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $82,189 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $81,368 | $15,000 | Not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Bachelor's Degree | $81,122 | $15,500 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $80,011 | $15,218 | 0 |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $78,813 | Not available | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $74,676 | $17,499 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $74,187 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $74,123 | $15,250 | Not reported |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $73,647 | $21,500 | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's Degree | $73,113 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $73,095 | $26,150 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's Degree | $70,426 | Not available | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $70,113 | $17,749 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $69,902 | $15,000 | 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 San Diego State University 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.