Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
CSU Channel Islands graduates demonstrate consistent earnings growth from early to mid-career stages. Median earnings increase from $46,785 six years after enrollment to $55,406 at eight years and $62,152 at ten years, representing robust 32.8% growth between the six-year and ten-year measurement points.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings exceed the peer average, indicating above-typical outcomes for this institution type.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $15,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
CSU Channel Islands graduates carry median debt of $15,000, significantly below the peer median of $21,105 and ranking at the 85th percentile for low debt levels nationally. Debt ranges from $5,500 at the 25th percentile to $21,883 at the 75th percentile, showing substantial variation but generally manageable levels across the distribution.
CSU Channel Islands achieves strong return on investment, ranking at the 75.7th percentile nationally with well above average performance. Graduates earn $14,286 beyond expectations compared to similar students, placing the university at the 90.4th percentile for earnings uplift and demonstrating exceptional value-added performance.
Approximately 23.1% of CSU Channel Islands graduates continue to graduate or professional school, based on program mix analysis with medium confidence...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Computer Science leads program earnings at $100,661 for 64 graduates, followed by Adult Health Nursing at $96,313 for 92 graduates, representing the university's strongest earning programs. Business Administration produces solid outcomes at $55,621 for the largest cohort of 302 graduates, while Biology graduates earn $54,178.
Applied/Public Sociology demonstrates strong performance at $49,741 for 124 graduates, ranking #49 nationally with exceptional value scores. Psychology, the largest program with 327 graduates, produces earnings of $43,425, reflecting the diverse career paths available in this field.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution shows meaningful variation that supports different career goals and risk preferences. The gap between 25th percentile ($36,869) and 75th percentile ($86,521) earnings creates a 2.3:1 ratio, indicating substantial upside potential while maintaining reasonable floor outcomes for graduates.
