Graduates of California State University–Chico earn a median of $65,228 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 70.0th percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $13,683 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing CSU Chico in the 91.1st percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks CSU Chico #445 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 70.0th percentile overall.
The earnings pattern corresponds to CSU Chico's program mix, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the largest program, with 585 graduates earning a median of $72,651 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks the program #87 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #103 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 346 graduates earning $52,621, while Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ranks #40 nationally with 216 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,008.
Graduates of California State University–Chico earn a median of $65,228 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 70.0th percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $13,683 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing CSU Chico in the 91.1st percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks CSU Chico #445 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 70.0th percentile overall.
The earnings pattern corresponds to CSU Chico's program mix, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the largest program, with 585 graduates earning a median of $72,651 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks the program #87 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #103 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 346 graduates earning $52,621, while Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ranks #40 nationally with 216 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,008.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $16,552 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Graduates of California State University–Chico earn a median of $65,228 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 70.0th percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $13,683 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing CSU Chico in the 91.1st percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks CSU Chico #445 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 70.0th percentile overall.
The earnings pattern corresponds to CSU Chico's program mix, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the largest program, with 585 graduates earning a median of $72,651 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks the program #87 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #103 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 346 graduates earning $52,621, while Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ranks #40 nationally with 216 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,008.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
California State University-Chico's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 14% of degree output, followed by Social Sciences at 10% and Arts at 6%. That applied-professional concentration shapes the institution's earnings profile: the largest programs by cohort size tend to sit in business, health, and social-science fields, and the highest-earning programs cluster in nursing, construction management, and business-adjacent disciplines. Business Administration combines strong cohort scale with solid earnings, making it the program that contributes most to the university's aggregate return. Among the largest programs, Business Administration program graduates 585 students annually with median earnings of $72,651 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #129 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Psychology, General (346 graduates, $52,621) and General Studies (216 graduates, $55,008) round out the high-enrollment core. On the earnings side, Nursing leads with median earnings of $117,543 from a cohort of 127 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #36 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration follows at $72,651 with 585 graduates, and Criminal Justice posts $58,464 from 139 graduates — both reflecting strong applied-field demand in California's labor market. Several of California State University-Chico's strongest earners — notably Nursing and Business Administration — feed directly into high-demand, workforce-ready careers where four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes rather than graduate-school deferral. Programs like Kinesiology and Sociology, by contrast, may include graduates who continue to advanced study, meaning four-year earnings undercount their long-run trajectory. Across 56 programs serving roughly 4,109 students annually, 44 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, and the provides additional context for how the university's business-heavy portfolio aligns with regional and national hiring patterns. ```
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of California State University–Chico earn a median of $65,228 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 70.0th percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $13,683 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing CSU Chico in the 91.1st percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks CSU Chico #445 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 70.0th percentile overall.
The earnings pattern corresponds to CSU Chico's program mix, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the largest program, with 585 graduates earning a median of $72,651 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks the program #87 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #103 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 346 graduates earning $52,621, while Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ranks #40 nationally with 216 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,008.
