Programs & majors brief

California State University-Fresno Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at Fresno State?

Business Administration and Management is the largest program, with 655 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #135 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Its graduates earn $64,133 four years after completion. Nursing is the best-paid program, with graduates earning $111,278 four years after completion from 177 degrees awarded.

Azimuth ranks it #42 nationally. Psychology awards 552 degrees with median earnings of $51,526, and Azimuth ranks it #104 nationally.

Criminology awards 399 degrees with median earnings of $48,647, and Azimuth ranks it #27 nationally. Across all fields, 13.0% of degrees are in STEM.

Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

  • Social sciences684 · 13.2%
  • Business655 · 12.6%
  • Psychology603 · 11.6%
  • Liberal arts529 · 10.2%
  • Health professions466 · 9.0%
  • Other2,243 · 43.3%

53 of 53 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 177 degrees awarded
$111,278
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 29 degrees awarded
$108,038
Computer Engineering 30 degrees awarded
$103,896
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician 36 degrees awarded
$95,072
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians 7 degrees awarded
$90,353
Mechanical Engineering 79 degrees awarded
$88,002

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs
Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks
ProgramDegrees awarded4-yr earningsField rank
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing177$111,278#42
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering29$108,038#73
Computer Engineering30$103,896#94
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician36$95,072#14
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians small degree count7$90,353—
Mechanical Engineering79$88,002#135
Civil Engineering70$87,627#51
Plant Sciences63$77,034#2
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General149$76,268—
Computer Science52$71,490#181
Agricultural Business and Management109$67,731#15
Economics32$66,749—
Food Science and Technology63$64,225#16
Business Administration, Management and Operations655$64,133#135
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas71$62,475#15
Political Science and Government59$62,298#124
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities529$58,436#22
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies44$56,336#10
Social Work111$56,038#36
Mathematics45$55,664—
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness231$54,849#69
Animal Sciences88$53,579#15
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services140$51,835#103
Communication and Media Studies94$51,788#153
History94$51,676#102
Psychology, General552$51,526#104
Biology, General157$50,728#278
Sociology164$49,407#113
Anthropology30$49,187#46
Criminology399$48,647#27
English Language and Literature, General90$47,223#142
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods25$45,819#185
Chemistry small degree count14$45,522—
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics56$45,063#101
Philosophy28$42,337#61
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General small degree count9$41,734—
Fine and Studio Arts65$39,878#138
Design and Applied Arts52$38,397#117
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft34$34,320#110
Architecture small degree count6Not reported—
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning small degree count6Not reported—
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies47Not reported—
Journalism95Not reported—
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians35Not reported—
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count10Not reported—
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services62Not reported—
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology28Not reported—
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other46Not reported—
Physical Sciences, General small degree count13Not reported—
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count7Not reported—
Physics small degree count5Not reported—
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology51Not reported—
Music37Not reported—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at Fresno State?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations
655
Psychology, General
552
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
529
Criminology
399
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
231
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
177
Sociology
164
Biology, General
157
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
149
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
140

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions

How do Fresno State majors rank nationally?

National program rankings

  1. Plant Sciences#2
  2. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies#10
  3. Construction Engineering Technology/Technician#14
  4. Agricultural Business and Management#15
  5. Animal Sciences#15
  6. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas#15
  7. Food Science and Technology#16
  8. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities#22
  9. Criminology#27
  10. Social Work#36
  11. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing#42
  12. Anthropology#46

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.

How Azimuth compares programs across colleges

Further analysis

Outcomes at California State University-Fresno depend heavily on the field a student chooses. Azimuth ranks 33 programs at the university and publishes four-year earnings for 39, evaluating median debt and cohort size rather than reputation.

The degree mix is broad. Social Sciences accounts for 13.2% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Business at 12.6% and Psychology at 11.6%.

The highest-ranked program nationally is Plant Sciences, which ranks #2 in its field and reports median earnings of $77,034 four years after completion. Nursing graduates, ranked #42 nationally in its field, earn the most at $111,278, from 177 degrees awarded.

Award counts reflect degrees conferred in one academic year, and program earnings cover federally aided completers.

Data & methodology

A missing figure does not mean zero. 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.