Programs & majors brief
California State University-Chico Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at Chico State?
56 of 56 programs shown
Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.
Compare all matching programs
| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 81 | $127,498 | #63 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 127 | $117,543 | #30 |
| Engineering, Other | 34 | $103,272 | #4 |
| Computer Engineering small degree count | 12 | $97,345 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 72 | $93,555 | #106 |
| Civil Engineering | 88 | $92,472 | #31 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 77 | $91,059 | #97 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 30 | $86,430 | #13 |
| Mathematics | 37 | $77,891 | #73 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology small degree count | 19 | $74,888 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 585 | $72,651 | #76 |
| Biology, General | 87 | $71,726 | #44 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 25 | $69,531 | #23 |
| Geography and Cartography small degree count | 19 | $69,500 | — |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 31 | $69,303 | #24 |
| Plant Sciences small degree count | 15 | $68,629 | — |
| Economics | 33 | $67,675 | #166 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 77 | $65,198 | #20 |
| Journalism | 44 | $63,358 | #23 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 58 | $62,855 | #32 |
| Agriculture, General | 48 | $61,369 | #6 |
| Political Science and Government | 76 | $61,293 | #152 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 25 | $60,367 | #75 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 101 | $59,765 | #4 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 52 | $59,146 | #20 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 139 | $58,464 | #44 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 114 | $58,391 | #90 |
| Social Work | 66 | $57,146 | #38 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 23 | $56,144 | #75 |
| Natural Sciences small degree count | 6 | $55,102 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 216 | $55,008 | #57 |
| Public Administration small degree count | 12 | $54,714 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 196 | $52,978 | #115 |
| Psychology, General | 346 | $52,621 | #105 |
| Sociology | 162 | $52,323 | #87 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies small degree count | 14 | $52,150 | — |
| Social Sciences, General | 58 | $50,845 | #25 |
| History | 53 | $49,351 | #154 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 75 | $49,189 | #126 |
| Animal Sciences | 67 | $48,474 | #38 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 58 | $45,468 | #65 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 102 | $44,629 | #97 |
| Anthropology | 42 | $43,153 | #80 |
| Music | 61 | $42,269 | #83 |
| Area Studies | 23 | $41,818 | #36 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication small degree count | 18 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 90 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 28 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 95 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Chemistry small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Health | 120 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at Chico State?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
How do Chico State majors rank nationally?
National program rankings
- Engineering, Other#4
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies#4
- Agriculture, General#6
- Engineering-Related Fields#13
- Agricultural Business and Management#20
- Nutrition Sciences#20
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research#23
- Journalism#23
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General#24
- Social Sciences, General#25
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing#30
- Civil Engineering#31
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services#32
- Area Studies#36
- Animal Sciences#38
- Social Work#38
- Biology, General#44
- Criminal Justice and Corrections#44
Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.
Further analysis
At California State University-Chico, Business, Social Sciences and Psychology are the largest degree families, accounting for 14.2%, 9.8% and 8.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, though earnings vary considerably across programs. The university has 45 programs with published earnings data, of which 38 carries an Azimuth national rank.
The program conferring the most degrees is Business Administration and Management, at 585 degrees awarded a year. Azimuth ranks it #76 nationally and #16 in California, with graduates earning $72,651 four years after completion.
The best-paid program is Computer Science, at $127,498 four years after completion, followed by Nursing at $117,543.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.