10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$29,040at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Sonoma State University
⌖ Rohnert Park, CA · 31 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$29,040 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
11.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
−13%Modeled 10-year ROI
$65,250Observed earnings · year 5
$5,625Maximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
The price benchmark would need to fall by $7,260 per year to reach it.
Includes direct price and earnings forgone while studying. Assumes $45,000 in alternative annual earnings and no wage growth. How we calculate itWhat the numbers say about Sonoma State University
What does Sonoma State University cost?
Sonoma State University reports an average annual net price of $12,885 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Sonoma State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $65,250 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Sonoma State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $16,705. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Sonoma State University worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 31 field-and-credential outcomes at Sonoma State University; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
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+$22,500
$8,000Annual price−$9,500
$13,000Current college-wide context−$29,500
$16,000Annual price−$41,500
$24,000Annual price−$73,500
$32,000Annual price−$105,500
$40,000Annual price−$137,500
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
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$12,885Average net price / year
$24,648Cost of attendance
$16,705Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$177/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$65,250Median earnings · year 5 after completion
57.6%Completion rate
93.4%Admission rate
5,166Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
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
69% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
807 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
64% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$63,601Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$65,379Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$69,406Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income62%
Middle income71%
Higher income75%
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 only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$41,936Year 1
$65,997Year 4
$65,250Year 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.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$144,3712Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$143,8863Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$127,1334Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$112,7575Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$106,1816Education, General · Master's Degree$87,3047Economics · Bachelor's Degree$83,6688Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$75,887Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree · $143,886 reported+62%vs same-degree national median$19,750federal debt2MusicBachelor's Degree · $65,533 reported+53%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3AnthropologyBachelor's Degree · $62,674 reported+34%vs same-degree national median$19,249federal debt4Education, GeneralMaster's Degree · $87,304 reported+33%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's Degree · $69,077 reported+26%vs same-degree national median$15,856federal debt6Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesBachelor's Degree · $64,116 reported+24%vs same-degree national median$19,187federal 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.
San Diego, CA
San Diego State University
- Annual net price
- $15,364
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $65,488
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -15%
California State University, San Marcos
- Annual net price
- $10,229
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,649
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -11%
University of California, Riverside
- Annual net price
- $14,304
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $63,411
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -22%
University of California, Merced
- Annual net price
- $11,983
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,884
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -22%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $144,371 | Not available | 0 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $143,886 | $19,750 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $127,133 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $112,757 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $106,181 | $20,305 | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $87,304 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $83,668 | $20,125 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $75,887 | $17,500 | Not reported |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $69,077 | $15,856 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $68,833 | $17,129 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $67,351 | $19,628 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $66,892 | $20,000 | Not reported |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $65,533 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $65,009 | $16,956 | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $64,913 | $18,212 | Not reported |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $64,116 | $19,187 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $63,781 | Not available | Not reported |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $62,674 | $19,249 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $59,444 | $16,500 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,418 | $18,239 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $57,335 | $16,500 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $56,819 | $16,304 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $56,581 | $18,000 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $56,345 | $19,000 | Not reported |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $53,489 | $17,250 | Not reported |
| Education, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $52,842 | $17,305 | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $52,672 | $18,250 | Not reported |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $46,022 | $18,460 | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $19,000 | Not reported |
| Geography and Cartography | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $11,000 | Not reported |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $21,078 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
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.