10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$166,050at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
University of California, San Diego
⌖ La Jolla, CA · 79 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$166,050 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
5.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
+72%Modeled 10-year ROI
$84,593Observed 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
$12,470Average net price / year
$38,701Cost of attendance
$84,593Median earnings · year 5 after completion
86.1%Completion rate
26.7%Admission rate
34,948Student 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
$44,612Year 1
$83,130Year 4
$84,593Year 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 Science · Master's Degree$231,3972Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$201,2873Computer Engineering · Master's Degree$173,1804Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Master's Degree$169,9875Physics · Doctoral Degree$166,9976Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · Doctoral Degree$165,5437Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$159,4878Engineering, Other · Master's Degree$158,915Observed 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 Jose, CA
San Jose State University
- Annual net price
- $13,760
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $80,832
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +52%
University of California, Los Angeles
- Annual net price
- $12,548
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $77,498
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +41%
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Annual net price
- $16,665
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $89,413
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +80%
Foothill College
- Annual net price
- $7,653
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $78,860
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +61%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Master's Degree | $231,397 | Not available |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $201,287 | Not available |
| Computer Engineering | Master's Degree | $173,180 | Not available |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's Degree | $169,987 | Not available |
| Physics | Doctoral Degree | $166,997 | Not available |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | Doctoral Degree | $165,543 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $159,487 | $16,550 |
| Engineering, Other | Master's Degree | $158,915 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $149,271 | Not available |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $149,139 | $18,497 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Doctoral Degree | $148,833 | Not available |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $145,693 | Not available |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $137,218 | $18,887 |
| Chemistry | Doctoral Degree | $136,333 | Not available |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Master's Degree | $132,783 | Not available |
| Education, General | Doctoral Degree | $131,358 | Not available |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $130,000 | Not available |
| Biology, General | Doctoral Degree | $129,900 | Not available |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $128,129 | Not available |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Master's Degree | $127,935 | Not available |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $123,320 | $19,724 |
| Medicine | Doctoral Degree | $118,330 | Not available |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $118,150 | $20,342 |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $112,223 | Not available |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $111,677 | $14,933 |
| Political Science and Government | Doctoral Degree | $104,566 | Not available |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $104,229 | $20,000 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Master's Degree | $101,102 | Not available |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Doctoral Degree | $100,332 | Not available |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $100,173 | $21,305 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $98,687 | $20,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $96,798 | $18,157 |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $96,746 | $19,237 |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $95,018 | $16,800 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $91,745 | $16,400 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $89,451 | $17,500 |
| Engineering, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $88,159 | $19,250 |
| Biology, General | Master's Degree | $87,940 | Not available |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $87,307 | $15,000 |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $85,233 | $15,516 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $81,174 | $16,500 |
| Cognitive Science | Bachelor's Degree | $81,160 | $17,481 |
| History | Doctoral Degree | $79,871 | Not available |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $79,015 | $16,250 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $77,249 | $16,100 |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $73,566 | Not available |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $72,491 | $17,500 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Bachelor's Degree | $71,380 | $17,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $69,061 | $18,000 |
| Music | Doctoral Degree | $68,693 | Not available |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $67,713 | $16,030 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $67,302 | $14,568 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Master's Degree | $66,412 | Not available |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $66,110 | $15,280 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $64,822 | $20,000 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $64,437 | $17,667 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Bachelor's Degree | $64,428 | $13,811 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $63,130 | $15,500 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $61,799 | $19,000 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $61,745 | $17,467 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $61,262 | $19,342 |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $58,071 | $18,938 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $57,900 | $19,281 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $56,982 | $13,958 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $56,097 | $14,800 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $56,000 | $15,000 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $55,776 | $13,998 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $55,534 | $14,413 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $53,319 | $23,747 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $52,701 | $18,834 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,679 | $16,124 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $48,506 | $15,218 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Master's Degree | $48,041 | Not available |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,915 | $15,000 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $41,389 | $14,650 |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $11,300 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $15,832 |
| Psychology, Other | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $18,200 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $16,787 |
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.