Graduates of California State University Maritime Academy earn median 4-year earnings of $108,757, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $38,506 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks California State University Maritime Academy #32 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects the institution's tight focus on Transportation and related applied fields, where graduates move directly into licensed, high-demand roles with strong starting pay relative to the credential cost. The program lineup at California State University Maritime Academy is concentrated rather than broad. Marine Transportation is the largest program, graduating 66 students and delivering median earnings of $117,176 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field per the program-ranking methodology. Mechanical Engineering follows with 42 graduates earning $126,395 at the four-year mark, and Azimuth ranks it #2 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.4x benchmark. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians and Business Administration round out the core degree offerings, each tied to CA's maritime, engineering, and logistics labor markets where employer demand and licensing requirements sustain above-average early-career pay. The institution's narrow program mix — anchored in Engineering (20% of graduates) and Business (16%) — means outcomes are relatively consistent across the student body, with limited dispersion between high- and lower-earning graduates compared with broader universities.
Graduates of California State University Maritime Academy earn median 4-year earnings of $108,757, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $38,506 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks California State University Maritime Academy #32 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects the institution's tight focus on Transportation and related applied fields, where graduates move directly into licensed, high-demand roles with strong starting pay relative to the credential cost. The program lineup at California State University Maritime Academy is concentrated rather than broad. Marine Transportation is the largest program, graduating 66 students and delivering median earnings of $117,176 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field per the program-ranking methodology. Mechanical Engineering follows with 42 graduates earning $126,395 at the four-year mark, and Azimuth ranks it #2 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.4x benchmark. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians and Business Administration round out the core degree offerings, each tied to CA's maritime, engineering, and logistics labor markets where employer demand and licensing requirements sustain above-average early-career pay. The institution's narrow program mix — anchored in Engineering (20% of graduates) and Business (16%) — means outcomes are relatively consistent across the student body, with limited dispersion between high- and lower-earning graduates compared with broader universities.
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of California State University Maritime Academy earn median 4-year earnings of $108,757, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $38,506 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks California State University Maritime Academy #32 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects the institution's tight focus on Transportation and related applied fields, where graduates move directly into licensed, high-demand roles with strong starting pay relative to the credential cost. The program lineup at California State University Maritime Academy is concentrated rather than broad. Marine Transportation is the largest program, graduating 66 students and delivering median earnings of $117,176 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field per the program-ranking methodology. Mechanical Engineering follows with 42 graduates earning $126,395 at the four-year mark, and Azimuth ranks it #2 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.4x benchmark. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians and Business Administration round out the core degree offerings, each tied to CA's maritime, engineering, and logistics labor markets where employer demand and licensing requirements sustain above-average early-career pay. The institution's narrow program mix — anchored in Engineering (20% of graduates) and Business (16%) — means outcomes are relatively consistent across the student body, with limited dispersion between high- and lower-earning graduates compared with broader universities.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
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 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 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.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of California State University Maritime Academy earn median 4-year earnings of $108,757, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $38,506 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing California State University Maritime Academy in the 99.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks California State University Maritime Academy #32 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects the institution's tight focus on Transportation and related applied fields, where graduates move directly into licensed, high-demand roles with strong starting pay relative to the credential cost. The program lineup at California State University Maritime Academy is concentrated rather than broad. Marine Transportation is the largest program, graduating 66 students and delivering median earnings of $117,176 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field per the program-ranking methodology. Mechanical Engineering follows with 42 graduates earning $126,395 at the four-year mark, and Azimuth ranks it #2 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.4x benchmark. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians and Business Administration round out the core degree offerings, each tied to CA's maritime, engineering, and logistics labor markets where employer demand and licensing requirements sustain above-average early-career pay. The institution's narrow program mix — anchored in Engineering (20% of graduates) and Business (16%) — means outcomes are relatively consistent across the student body, with limited dispersion between high- and lower-earning graduates compared with broader universities.
