10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$59,940at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
University of California, Santa Cruz
⌖ Santa Cruz, CA · 39 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$59,940 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.
13.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−24%Modeled 10-year ROI
$64,162Observed 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
$17,890Average net price / year
$41,179Cost of attendance
$64,162Median earnings · year 5 after completion
75.1%Completion rate
65.8%Admission rate
17,940Student 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
$37,107Year 1
$67,085Year 4
$64,162Year 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$124,6412Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$123,4223Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$118,2904Economics · Master's Degree$110,4255Biomedical/Medical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$98,5676Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Bachelor's Degree$94,5897Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology · Bachelor's Degree$88,3058Business/Managerial Economics · Bachelor's Degree$82,064Observed 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 Diego, CA
San Diego State University
- Annual net price
- $15,364
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $65,488
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -15%
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%
Sonoma State University
- Annual net price
- $12,885
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $65,250
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -13%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $124,641 | $23,392 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $123,422 | $16,666 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $118,290 | $17,048 |
| Economics | Master's Degree | $110,425 | Not available |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $98,567 | $22,500 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $94,589 | $20,020 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $88,305 | $18,959 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $82,064 | $16,500 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $76,382 | $18,017 |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Master's Degree | $73,343 | Not available |
| Cognitive Science | Bachelor's Degree | $72,125 | $19,500 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $71,348 | $15,000 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Doctoral Degree | $70,373 | Not available |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $69,849 | $19,000 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $69,027 | $19,500 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $66,333 | Not available |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $66,244 | $18,416 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $65,890 | $16,782 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $65,036 | $20,703 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $64,499 | $20,833 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $60,519 | $18,279 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,948 | $18,902 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $59,214 | $19,232 |
| Graphic Communications | Bachelor's Degree | $58,163 | $20,714 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | Bachelor's Degree | $56,620 | $17,750 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $55,798 | $19,747 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $55,338 | $16,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $55,240 | $18,500 |
| Behavioral Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $54,606 | $17,500 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $52,315 | $17,875 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $51,519 | $17,340 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $51,398 | $15,832 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $49,821 | $18,887 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $49,763 | $17,491 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $45,815 | $16,439 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $40,156 | $19,500 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $30,524 | $19,500 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $20,500 |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $16,250 |
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.