Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
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.
Cal State LA graduates demonstrate steady earnings progression with 29.6% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement points. Median earnings increase from $45,702 six years after enrollment to $51,588 at eight years and $59,211 at ten years, indicating consistent career advancement across the early-to-mid career period.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $13,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Cal State LA graduates maintain exceptionally manageable debt levels that support long-term financial stability. Median student debt totals just $13,000, substantially below the peer median of $20,000 and ranking at the 88th percentile nationally for low debt levels.
California State University-Los Angeles demonstrates above-average return on investment, ranking at the 61.5th percentile nationally through a combination of controlled costs and strong earnings performance relative to student demographics. The institution generates $11,376 in earnings beyond expectations, placing it at the 87.1st percentile nationally for value-added performance.
Approximately 25.3% of Cal State LA graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on high-confidence program mix analysis. This continu...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Program-level earnings demonstrate the significant impact of field selection on long-term outcomes. Adult Health Nurse/Nursing leads at $103,598, followed by Electrical and Electronics Engineering at $91,800 and Mechanical Engineering at $78,721.
Computer Science produces $77,836 median earnings, while Business Administration graduates, representing the largest cohort at 1,131 students, earn $54,478. Professional programs in corrections, social work, and health fields typically outperform liberal arts alternatives, though all programs benefit from the institution's strong value-added performance.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution from $36,906 at the 25th percentile to $83,961 at the 75th percentile represents a 2.3:1 ratio, indicating meaningful variation in graduate outcomes across programs and career paths. Low-income graduates earn $48,600, demonstrating the institution's effectiveness in supporting economic advancement for Pell-eligible students who comprise 66.0% of enrollment.
