COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES
Sociology bachelor's degree at University of California, Merced
Merced, CA · Public
What this page covers
Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.
The short version
Reported earnings are close to similar programs.
$2,189 below the national median for the same field and degree level.
- Debt as a share of earnings
- 34.7% of annual earnings
- Highest price with a positive payoff
- Not reached
- Modeled 10-year payoff
- −76% · Negative payoff
- Available price data
- College-wide context only
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−$125,320
$8,000Annual price−$157,320
$12,000Current college-wide context−$173,320
$16,000Annual price−$189,320
$24,000Annual price−$221,320
$32,000Annual price−$253,320
$40,000Annual price−$285,320
OUTCOME SIGNALS
Graduate outcomes from several angles.
Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT
Size, aid and an earnings floor.
The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$36,082Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$50,468$14,386 above the preliminary benchmark
Additional borrowing reported for this category: 15 Parent PLUS borrowers.
Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.
01 · PRICE CONTEXT$11,983
Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.
02 · BORROWING$17,515
Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.
03 · EARNINGS$50,468
Observed median earnings four full years after completion.
04 · REPAYMENT$186/mo
Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.
WHAT WILL IT COST?
Published college costs provide the starting point.
Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.
Enter my price →AVERAGE NET PRICE$11,983Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$39,665Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE90.5%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE68.7%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?
Reported earnings after completion.
Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?
4.4% of gross monthly earnings
Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.
Gross monthly earnings$4,206
Estimated loan payment$186
85borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
$50,468 vs. $52,657
$2,189 below the national median for the same field and credential.
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?
Related occupations, wages and outlook.
Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.
BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.Managers, All Other$174,560 median wageCA estimate · 99,580 jobs · 11-9199$132,000–$221,560 middle 50% of CA wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSociology Teachers, Postsecondary$127,680 median wageCA estimate · 810 jobs · 25-1067$96,530–$167,290 middle 50% of CA wages+2.2% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSociologists$125,770 median wageCA estimate · 590 jobs · 19-3041$98,770–$138,710 middle 50% of CA wages+3.8% projected U.S. growth · 200 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeSocial Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other$132,920 median wageCA estimate · 2,760 jobs · 25-1069$82,230–$205,150 middle 50% of CA wages+1.6% projected U.S. growth · 1,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$60,250 median wageCA estimate · 5,300 jobs · 19-4061$41,670–$84,990 middle 50% of CA wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.
Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.
California State University, Sacramento
$6,418 higher earnings · $1,415 less debt · $2,645 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $56,886
- Debt
- $16,100
- Annual net price
- $9,338
California State University, Channel Islands
$6,387 higher earnings · $2,515 less debt · $2,134 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $56,855
- Debt
- $15,000
- Annual net price
- $9,849
California State University, Dominguez Hills
$4,632 higher earnings · $2,515 less debt · $3,368 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $55,100
- Debt
- $15,000
- Annual net price
- $8,615
California State University, Northridge
$4,032 higher earnings · $4,515 less debt · $4,962 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $54,500
- Debt
- $13,000
- Annual net price
- $7,021
DATA QUALITY
Check the evidence behind the estimate.
92 observations in the earnings cohort
June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release
Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page
Your price and current earnings determine the result.
Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.
Calculate my payoff →