10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$29,040at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA · 31 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 28 · Federal debt reported for 25
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$29,040 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
11.4 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−13%Estimated return after 10 years
$65,250Observed earnings · year 5
$5,625Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $7,260 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: $22,086 housing and food allowance plus $4,096 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+$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
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
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
89 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
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
$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
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 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. The current release contains 31 field-and-degree records for Sonoma State University; 28 report year-4 earnings and 25 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
6,660Students enrolled at any point
5,938Undergraduate students
722Graduate 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
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%
Undergraduate student composition
White40%
Black3%
Hispanic42%
Asian5%
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
$41,936Year 1
$65,997Year 4
$65,250Year 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$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 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.
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%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 31 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| 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 | $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 |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
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.