Best Economics Programs in California (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 42 Economics programs in California by the median earnings of Economics graduates four years after completing. Claremont McKenna College ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $146,524 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $146,524 to $20,373, with a median of $77,206. For 4 of the 42 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 29 of the programs and private nonprofits for 13. California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $3,967.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claremont McKenna College · Claremont, CA | $146,524 | $28,849 | $15,308 | 9.6% |
| Claremont McKenna College ranks 1st on this list with median earnings of $146,524 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, and an admission rate of 10%. | |||||
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $135,050 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley posts an average net price of $13,481 and median federal debt of $12,650 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $121,307 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University, a private nonprofit university in Santa Clara, reports median earnings of $121,307 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $112,700 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| Stanford University admits 4% of applicants and its Economics graduates earn a median of $112,700 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $104,943 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Pepperdine University ranks 5th on this list, with median federal debt of $24,250 among Economics completers who borrowed and an average net price of $58,098. | |||||
| 6 | Occidental College · Los Angeles, CA | $103,164 | $38,263 | $20,705 | 44.2% |
| Occidental College reports median earnings of $103,164 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 44%. | |||||
| 7 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $98,927 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| Median federal debt among Economics completers who borrowed is $17,500 at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, which ranks 7th on this list. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $98,178 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara posts median earnings of $98,178 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $16,109. | |||||
| 9 | Pomona College · Claremont, CA | $96,702 | $19,285 | $4,841 | 7.1% |
| Pomona College admits 7% of applicants and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $11,782 in federal loans. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $95,440 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles ranks 10th on this list, reporting median earnings of $95,440 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $94,435 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| An average net price of $32,740 coincides with median earnings of $94,435 for Economics graduates four years after completing at University of Southern California. | |||||
| 12 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $93,712 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco reports median federal debt of $21,500 among Economics completers who borrowed, and an admission rate of 62%. | |||||
| 13 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $88,682 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University reports median earnings of $88,682 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $20,125 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 14 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $87,307 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego admits 27% of applicants and ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $83,937 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| Median earnings for University of California-Irvine's Economics graduates four years after completing reach $83,937, and the school posts an average net price of $14,251. | |||||
| 16 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $83,668 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University ranks 16th on this list, with median earnings of $83,668 for its Economics graduates four years after completing and a cohort of 31 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $83,339 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| California State University-San Marcos carries an average net price of $6,230 for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $18,620 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $83,248 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis ranks 18th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $83,248 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $82,697 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University admits 96% of applicants and shows median earnings of $82,697 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $79,510 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| University of the Pacific reports median earnings of $79,510 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $19,500 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $78,029 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| California State University-Bakersfield posts an average net price of $5,652 and a median federal debt of $16,600 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 22 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $76,382 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz ranks 22nd on this list, with median earnings of $76,382 for its Economics graduates four years after completing and a cohort of 162 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 23 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $74,123 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University carries an average net price of $9,910 for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $15,250 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $72,890 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $72,890 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $71,662 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| Median earnings of $71,662 for Economics graduates four years after completing place California State University-Channel Islands 25th on this list. | |||||
| 26 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $71,595 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| With an admission rate of 91%, California State University-Fullerton reports median earnings of $71,595 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 27 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $71,220 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| An average net price of $7,183 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with California State University-Long Beach's median earnings of $71,220 four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $70,290 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| Ranking 28th on this list, California State University-Sacramento reports median earnings of $70,290 four years after completing alongside 161 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 29 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $69,967 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| A median federal debt of $13,540 across all of California State University-Stanislaus's borrowers who completed accompanies median earnings of $69,967 four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $67,692 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| Admitting 91% of applicants, University of California-Merced reports median earnings of $67,692 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $67,675 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| An average net price of $14,480 accompanies California State University-Chico's median earnings of $67,675 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $67,155 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left California State University-East Bay with a median of $16,544 in federal loans while its Economics graduates earn $67,155 four years after completing. | |||||
| 33 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $66,749 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno ranks 33rd on this list with an average net price of $7,000 and median earnings of $66,749 four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $66,682 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| Median earnings of $66,682 for Economics graduates four years after completing place University of California-Riverside 34th on this list. | |||||
| 35 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $61,175 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| With an admission rate of 98%, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt reports median earnings of $61,175 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 36 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $61,084 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona posts a median federal debt of $8,724 among Economics completers who borrowed and median earnings of $61,084 four years after completing. | |||||
| 37 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $54,998 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| With an admission rate of 91%, California State University-Los Angeles posts an average net price of $3,967. | |||||
| 38 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $54,060 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| California State University-San Bernardino reports median federal debt of $17,000 among Economics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $54,060 four years after completing. | |||||
| 39 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $50,856 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in San Diego, University of San Diego ranks 437th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 40 | Saint Mary's College of California · Moraga, CA | $41,193 | $30,378 | $19,462 | 86.5% |
| Saint Mary's College of California shows an average net price of $19,462 for families earning under $30,000 and a cohort of 15 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 41 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $38,289 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University admits 85% of applicants and reports median earnings of $38,289 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 42 | University of Redlands · Redlands, CA | $20,373 | $30,031 | $28,287 | 82.7% |
| University of Redlands ranks 42nd on this list, with median earnings of $20,373 four years after completing and an average net price of $30,031. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Economics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figures represent federally aided Economics completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. For 4 of the 42 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from $146,524 to $20,373 yields a spread of $126,151, and the gap between Claremont McKenna College and University of California-Berkeley is $11,474.