10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$49,092at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
University of California, Merced
⌖ Merced, CA · 16 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$49,092 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
12.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
−22%Modeled 10-year ROI
$62,884Observed 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
$11,983Average net price / year
$39,665Cost of attendance
$62,884Median earnings · year 5 after completion
68.7%Completion rate
90.5%Admission rate
8,372Student 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
$39,692Year 1
$65,410Year 4
$62,884Year 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.
1Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$102,5752Mechanical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$95,0403Biomedical/Medical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$88,7954Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$83,0075Applied Mathematics · Bachelor's Degree$82,1566Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$68,2777Economics · Bachelor's Degree$67,6928Political Science and Government · Bachelor's Degree$62,815Observed 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.
Long Beach, CA
California State University, Long Beach
- Annual net price
- $10,440
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,005
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -23%
University of California, Riverside
- Annual net price
- $14,304
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $63,411
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -22%
California State University, Chico
- Annual net price
- $14,480
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,509
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -26%
Evergreen Valley College
- Annual net price
- $12,414
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,314
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -33%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $102,575 | $19,086 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $95,040 | $18,500 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $88,795 | $21,234 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $83,007 | $21,665 |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $82,156 | $16,497 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $68,277 | $16,000 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $67,692 | $19,303 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $62,815 | $17,500 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,249 | $18,325 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $58,623 | $24,000 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $56,888 | $15,000 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $56,393 | $15,502 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $53,143 | $16,500 |
| Cognitive Science | Bachelor's Degree | $51,147 | $21,000 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $50,468 | $17,515 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $44,144 | $15,455 |
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.