Top Ranked Programs
California State University Maritime Academy's program mix is defined almost entirely by Transportation and closely related technical fields — a signature that reflects the academy's specialized maritime and engineering identity. Marine Transportation is the program that anchors the institution's economic output, combining the largest graduate cohort of 66 students with strong four-year median earnings of $117,176, making it the single largest driver of the academy's overall earnings profile. Azimuth ranks Marine Transportation #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, per the [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) methodology. The institution's strongest-ranked programs cluster in engineering and technical fields. The Mechanical Engineering program graduates 42 students with four-year median earnings of $126,395, and Azimuth ranks the program #2 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, with 35 graduates, earns median earnings of $126,209 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Marine Transportation rounds out the engineering cluster with 66 graduates earning $117,176 in median earnings four years after enrollment, ranked #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These programs are high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways — graduates enter the maritime shipping, naval engineering, and logistics industries where hiring demand is concentrated and wages reflect specialized technical credentials. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) framework provides context for how Transportation and engineering fields align with national labor-market demand. Across 6 programs serving roughly 214 students annually, California State University Maritime Academy's focused portfolio means that program outcomes are tightly clustered around a single high-earning occupational family rather than spread across a broad academic range.