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Programs & majors brief

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# California State University-Monterey Bay Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/california-state-university-monterey-bay/)[Cost & aid](/school/california-state-university-monterey-bay/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/california-state-university-monterey-bay/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/california-state-university-monterey-bay/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/california-state-university-monterey-bay/similar/)

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at CSUMB?

Program choice separates the higher- and moderate-earning ranked fields at California State University-Monterey Bay. Business Administration and Management had median earnings of $72,558 four years after completion and 265 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #90 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Liberal Arts and General Studies had $59,017 and 242 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth rank of #25 nationally. Psychology recorded $54,074 on 231 degrees awarded and ranks #94 nationally through Azimuth.

Kinesiology and Physical Education posted $47,736 with 172 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #138 nationally. The first field has the higher earnings figure, while the others form a more moderate range.

### 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.

-   Business**285 · 14.7%**
-   Liberal arts**242 · 12.5%**
-   Psychology**231 · 12.0%**
-   Computer science**191 · 9.9%**
-   Parks and recreation**172 · 8.9%**
-   Other**812 · 42.0%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

23 of 23 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 52 degrees awarded**
$134,489

**Computer Science 191 degrees awarded**
$101,787

**Business Administration, Management and Operations 265 degrees awarded**
$72,558

**Mathematics 21 degrees awarded**
$62,943

**International/Globalization Studies 10 degrees awarded**
$61,480

**Marine Sciences 75 degrees awarded**
$59,782

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

| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 52 | $134,489 | #7 |
| Computer Science | 191 | $101,787 | #83 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 265 | $72,558 | #90 |
| Mathematics | 21 | $62,943 | #167 |
| International/Globalization Studies small degree count | 10 | $61,480 | — |
| Marine Sciences | 75 | $59,782 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 242 | $59,017 | #25 |
| Social Sciences, General | 89 | $57,200 | #12 |
| Human Services, General | 96 | $56,719 | #4 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 20 | $55,856 | #47 |
| Biology, General | 122 | $55,654 | #211 |
| Psychology, General | 231 | $54,074 | #94 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 80 | $51,598 | #91 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 61 | $51,118 | #30 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 50 | $48,639 | #92 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 172 | $47,736 | #138 |
| Music small degree count | 13 | $40,077 | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 56 | $39,954 | #56 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 34 | $39,824 | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 21 | $34,006 | #211 |
| Plant Sciences small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 20 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Statistics small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |

[Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## What are the largest programs at CSUMB?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
265

**Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**
242

**Psychology, General**
231

**Computer Science**
191

**Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**
172

**Biology, General**
122

**Human Services, General**
96

**Social Sciences, General**
89

**Natural Resources Conservation and Research**
80

**Marine Sciences**
75

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources)

## How do CSUMB majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Human Services, General**#4**
2.  Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**#7**
3.  Social Sciences, General**#12**
4.  Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**#25**
5.  Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services**#30**
6.  Hospitality Administration/Management**#47**
7.  Computer Science Included by program size**#83**
8.  Business Administration, Management and Operations Included by program size**#90**
9.  Psychology, General Included by program size**#94**
10.  Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Included by program size**#138**

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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## Further analysis

Outcomes at California State University-Monterey Bay vary sharply by field of study. The university has 20 programs with published earnings data, and 16 of those carry an Azimuth national rank.

The degree mix is broad. Business accounts for 14.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Liberal Arts & General Studies at 12.5% and Psychology at 11.9%.

The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $134,489 four years after completion, from 52 degrees awarded. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awards 265 degrees and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #90 nationally within its field.

Human Services holds the strongest national rank in its field at #4, with median earnings of $56,719.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).