Top Ranked Programs
California State University-Fresno's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, health professions, and applied business fields — a portfolio shaped by the university's role as the Central Valley's primary public research institution. Business Administration is the largest program with 655 graduates, followed by Psychology, General (552 graduates), General Studies (529 graduates), Criminology (399 graduates), and Kinesiology (231 graduates). Across 53 programs serving roughly 5,180 students annually, 37 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. The degree output balances Social Sciences (13%), Business (13%), and Engineering (4%), reflecting a broad applied-professional orientation. The strongest earnings come from health and technical fields. Nursing leads with median earnings of $111,278 four years after enrollment from a cohort of 177 graduates, and Azimuth ranks the program #43 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General follows at $76,268 with 149 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Business Administration program graduates 655 students with median earnings of $64,133, and Azimuth ranks the program #130 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These programs represent the clearest high-return pathways at California State University-Fresno, combining strong early-career pay with direct workforce entry. The largest programs — Business Administration and Psychology, General — produce median earnings of $64,133 and $51,526 respectively, more moderate figures that reflect the mix of social-science and liberal-arts pathways where some graduates continue to graduate or professional school and four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory. General Studies, with median earnings of $58,436, represents a high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathway where early pay more closely tracks labor-market outcomes. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides additional context for how California State University-Fresno's strongest program families align with regional and national hiring demand, particularly in health professions and applied business — sectors with sustained workforce need across California's Central Valley. ```