10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$271,276at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
University of California, Berkeley
⌖ Berkeley, CA · 72 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Strong payoff
+$271,276 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.
4.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
+116%Modeled 10-year ROI
$95,520Observed 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
$13,481Average net price / year
$45,619Cost of attendance
$95,520Median earnings · year 5 after completion
92.8%Completion rate
11.0%Admission rate
33,068Student 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
$57,445Year 1
$96,018Year 4
$95,520Year 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.
1Business Administration, Management and Operations · First Professional Degree$258,6352Law · First Professional Degree$226,9963Information Science/Studies · First Professional Degree$209,3914Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$204,3795Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$200,5436Physics · Doctoral Degree$177,5897Chemistry · Doctoral Degree$168,3968Mechanical Engineering · Master's Degree$147,475Observed 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.
San Luis Obispo, CA
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Annual net price
- $16,665
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $89,413
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +80%
Contra Costa College
- Annual net price
- $9,490
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $103,363
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +168%
University of California, San Diego
- Annual net price
- $12,470
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $84,593
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +72%
San Jose State University
- Annual net price
- $13,760
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $80,832
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +52%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | First Professional Degree | $258,635 | Not available |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $226,996 | Not available |
| Information Science/Studies | First Professional Degree | $209,391 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $204,379 | $13,900 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $200,543 | $14,437 |
| Physics | Doctoral Degree | $177,589 | Not available |
| Chemistry | Doctoral Degree | $168,396 | Not available |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $147,475 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $144,599 | $12,195 |
| Mechanical Engineering | First Professional Degree | $140,788 | Not available |
| Operations Research | Bachelor's Degree | $138,883 | Not available |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | First Professional Degree | $135,248 | Not available |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $135,050 | $13,000 |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $133,986 | $16,165 |
| Education, General | Doctoral Degree | $130,547 | Not available |
| Optometry | First Professional Degree | $130,333 | Not available |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Doctoral Degree | $123,231 | Not available |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $121,027 | $18,155 |
| Cognitive Science | Bachelor's Degree | $120,193 | $13,950 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $119,371 | $13,200 |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $118,414 | $14,598 |
| Chemical Engineering | Master's Degree | $114,034 | Not available |
| Public Policy Analysis | First Professional Degree | $113,884 | Not available |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $110,597 | $14,896 |
| Public Health | First Professional Degree | $109,806 | Not available |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $108,548 | $14,392 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Bachelor's Degree | $103,546 | $14,308 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | First Professional Degree | $102,303 | Not available |
| Sociology | Doctoral Degree | $101,699 | Not available |
| Social Sciences, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $101,138 | $15,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Doctoral Degree | $100,702 | Not available |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $96,043 | $15,508 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | Bachelor's Degree | $90,943 | $19,500 |
| Social Work | First Professional Degree | $90,782 | Not available |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $87,791 | $14,500 |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $86,225 | Not available |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | First Professional Degree | $86,011 | Not available |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Master's Degree | $83,157 | Not available |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $82,386 | $11,172 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $80,654 | $20,500 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $79,391 | $16,182 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $79,163 | $14,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $78,624 | $12,988 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $76,724 | $14,000 |
| Architecture | Bachelor's Degree | $76,679 | $15,000 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $76,572 | $11,729 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Bachelor's Degree | $76,125 | $14,444 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $75,848 | Not available |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $75,715 | $11,593 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $75,612 | $11,180 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $75,128 | $13,000 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $71,363 | $13,131 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $70,963 | $15,693 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $70,636 | $13,723 |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $70,366 | $14,972 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $69,373 | $14,037 |
| Education, General | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | $67,451 | Not available |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $67,393 | $13,719 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $67,291 | $15,740 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $66,577 | $14,000 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $66,522 | $15,636 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | Bachelor's Degree | $65,269 | Not available |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $64,904 | $12,111 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $64,755 | $13,068 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $64,359 | $12,949 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $63,326 | $14,475 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $62,835 | Not available |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $60,187 | $13,500 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $55,555 | $15,112 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $51,699 | $13,254 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $13,550 |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $12,800 |
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.