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# Best Mathematics Programs in California (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Mathematics Colleges in California](/rankings/best-mathematics-colleges-in-california/)

This page ranks the 30 Mathematics programs in California by median earnings of Mathematics graduates four years after completing, highest first. [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $99,269 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $99,269 to $28,236, with a median of $67,042. For 2 of the 30 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 26 of the 30 programs, or 87%, while 4 are private nonprofit. 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

30 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $99,269 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting [$99,269 in median earnings](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/outcomes/) of Mathematics graduates four years after completing from a cohort of 193 graduates. |
| 2 | Occidental College · Los Angeles, CA | $88,080 | $38,263 | $20,705 | 44.2% |
|  | A private nonprofit institution in Los Angeles, Occidental College posts an admission rate of 44% and median earnings of $88,080 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $85,391 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
|  | [University of California-Santa Barbara](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/) reports [$85,391 in median earnings](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/outcomes/) of Mathematics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $16,109. |
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $83,187 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
|  | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $16,636](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/cost/) among Mathematics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $83,187 four years after completing. |
| 5 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $80,654 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
|  | [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) [ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $80,654 in median earnings of Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $80,055 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 91%](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/admissions/), [California State University-Fullerton](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/majors/) reports median earnings of $80,055 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $79,015 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
|  | [University of California-San Diego](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/) reports [$79,015 in median earnings](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/outcomes/) of Mathematics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $7,525 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 8 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $77,891 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
|  | [California State University-Chico](/school/california-state-university-chico/majors/) ranks 8th on this list, with [median earnings of $77,891](/school/california-state-university-chico/outcomes/) for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $77,472 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
|  | [University of California-Irvine](/school/university-of-california-irvine/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $16,950](/school/university-of-california-irvine/cost/) among Mathematics completers who borrowed, and median earnings of $77,472 four years after completing. |
| 10 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $72,640 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
|  | An [admission rate of 42%](/school/university-of-california-davis/admissions/) and median earnings of $72,640 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing are reported by [University of California-Davis](/school/university-of-california-davis/majors/). |
| 11 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $71,323 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
|  | [San Francisco State University](/school/san-francisco-state-university/majors/) reports [$71,323 in median earnings](/school/san-francisco-state-university/outcomes/) of Mathematics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $12,278. |
| 12 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $70,677 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
|  | [California State University-Los Angeles](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/majors/) reports [$70,677 in median earnings](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/outcomes/) of Mathematics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $2,877 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 13 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $70,628 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
|  | Admitting 95% of applicants, [California State University-Channel Islands](/school/california-state-university-channel-islands/majors/) reports [median earnings of $70,628](/school/california-state-university-channel-islands/outcomes/) for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 14 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $69,377 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
|  | [University of Southern California](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/) reports a [median federal debt of $2,750](/school/university-of-southern-california/cost/) among Mathematics completers who borrowed and median earnings of $69,377 four years after completing. |
| 15 | California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA | $68,900 | $8,615 | $7,303 | 93.3% |
|  | [California State University-Dominguez Hills](/school/california-state-university-dominguez-hills/majors/) ranks 15th on this list, with [median earnings of $68,900](/school/california-state-university-dominguez-hills/outcomes/) for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 16 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $65,184 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 98%](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/admissions/), [California State University-Stanislaus](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/majors/) posts median earnings of $65,184 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 17 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $64,913 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
|  | [Sonoma State University](/school/sonoma-state-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $8,310](/school/sonoma-state-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $64,913 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 18 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $64,470 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $16,600](/school/california-state-university-bakersfield/outcomes/) in federal loans at [California State University-Bakersfield](/school/california-state-university-bakersfield/majors/), where Mathematics completers earn $64,470 four years after completing. |
| 19 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $63,596 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
|  | [University of California-Riverside](/school/university-of-california-riverside/majors/) [ranks 31st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-california-riverside/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $63,596 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 20 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $63,077 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
|  | [California State University-Northridge](/school/california-state-university-northridge/majors/) reports an [average net price of $7,021](/school/california-state-university-northridge/cost/) and a median federal debt of $11,000 among Mathematics completers who borrowed. |
| 21 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $63,059 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
|  | Admitting 75% of applicants, [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) reports [median earnings of $63,059](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/outcomes/) for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 22 | California State University-Monterey Bay · Seaside, CA | $62,943 | $13,663 | $9,970 | 97.4% |
|  | [California State University-Monterey Bay](/school/california-state-university-monterey-bay/majors/) ranks 22nd on this list with [median earnings of $62,943](/school/california-state-university-monterey-bay/outcomes/) for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 23 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $61,754 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
|  | An [average net price of $7,183](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 is reported by [California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/), which ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 24 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $59,214 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
|  | [University of California-Santa Cruz](/school/university-of-california-santa-cruz/majors/) reports [median earnings of $59,214](/school/university-of-california-santa-cruz/outcomes/) for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $19,050 among Mathematics completers who borrowed. |
| 25 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $59,162 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
|  | [California State University-Sacramento](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/majors/) reports [median earnings of $59,162](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/outcomes/) for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing, with 73 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 26 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $57,999 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
|  | A public university in San Diego, [San Diego State University](/school/san-diego-state-university/majors/) [admits 36% of applicants](/school/san-diego-state-university/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $57,999 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 27 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $57,603 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
|  | [California State University-San Bernardino](/school/california-state-university-san-bernardino/majors/) carries an [average net price of $4,564,](/school/california-state-university-san-bernardino/cost/) and its Mathematics graduates four years after completing earn a median of $57,603. |
| 28 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $55,664 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $14,505](/school/california-state-university-fresno/outcomes/) in federal loans at [California State University-Fresno](/school/california-state-university-fresno/majors/), where Mathematics graduates four years after completing earn a median of $55,664. |
| 29 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $35,060 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
|  | [Chapman University](/school/chapman-university/majors/), a private nonprofit institution in Orange, [ranks 920th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/chapman-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $35,060 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 30 | University of Redlands · Redlands, CA | $28,236 | $30,031 | $28,287 | 82.7% |
|  | [University of Redlands](/school/university-of-redlands/majors/) has an [admission rate of 83%](/school/university-of-redlands/admissions/) and an average net price of $30,031, alongside median earnings of $28,236 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Mathematics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 30 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 gap between University of California-Los Angeles and Occidental College is $11,189, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $71,033.

## Job market context in California

Mathematics graduates in California enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, Data Scientists, and other quantitative roles. The median annual wage across those occupations is $117,868, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $89,411. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 10.2% higher, with 11,210 projected openings a year, or about 406 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which is more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, not the occupational wages shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Mathematics Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-mathematics-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Mathematics Programs in Pennsylvania](/rankings/best-mathematics-programs-in-pennsylvania/)
-   [Best Mathematics Colleges in California](/rankings/best-mathematics-colleges-in-california/)
-   Mathematics Colleges in California for Social Mobility