Graduates of California State University-Monterey Bay earn median earnings of $62,324 four years after enrollment, placing California State University-Monterey Bay in the 57.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,435 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to CA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,672 (the state median earnings of working adults without a postsecondary credential). The degree mix at California State University-Monterey Bay is anchored in Business, which accounts for 15% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 5% and Arts at 4%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #72 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 265 graduates earning median earnings of $72,558. The General Studies program graduates 242 students with median earnings of $59,017, and Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 231 graduates earning median earnings of $54,074.
Graduates of California State University-Monterey Bay earn median earnings of $62,324 four years after enrollment, placing California State University-Monterey Bay in the 57.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,435 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to CA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,672 (the state median earnings of working adults without a postsecondary credential). The degree mix at California State University-Monterey Bay is anchored in Business, which accounts for 15% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 5% and Arts at 4%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #72 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 265 graduates earning median earnings of $72,558. The General Studies program graduates 242 students with median earnings of $59,017, and Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 231 graduates earning median earnings of $54,074.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of California State University-Monterey Bay earn median earnings of $62,324 four years after enrollment, placing California State University-Monterey Bay in the 57.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,435 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to CA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,672 (the state median earnings of working adults without a postsecondary credential). The degree mix at California State University-Monterey Bay is anchored in Business, which accounts for 15% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 5% and Arts at 4%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #72 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 265 graduates earning median earnings of $72,558. The General Studies program graduates 242 students with median earnings of $59,017, and Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 231 graduates earning median earnings of $54,074.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
California State University-Monterey Bay's program mix is anchored in Business, with additional strength in liberal arts, social sciences, and health-related fields. Business accounts for 15% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 5% and Arts at 4%. Across 23 programs serving roughly 1,933 students annually, 19 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a focused portfolio that reflects the university's regional comprehensive identity. Computer Science combines the largest cohort with strong earnings, making it the program that contributes most to California State University-Monterey Bay's overall financial outcomes. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #86 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $101,787. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #72 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 265 graduates earning $72,558. General Studies (242 graduates, $59,017) and Psychology, General (231 graduates, $54,074) round out the largest programs by enrollment. Several of California State University-Monterey Bay's strongest programs feed directly into California's workforce needs. Business and health-adjacent fields are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the labor market immediately, and four-year earnings reflect actual employer demand. Programs in the social sciences and liberal arts are more likely to serve as foundations for graduate study or credentialing, where four-year earnings undercount the longer trajectory. The supply-demand map for college graduates provides additional context for how these fields align with national and regional hiring trends.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of California State University-Monterey Bay earn median earnings of $62,324 four years after enrollment, placing California State University-Monterey Bay in the 57.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,435 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to CA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,672 (the state median earnings of working adults without a postsecondary credential). The degree mix at California State University-Monterey Bay is anchored in Business, which accounts for 15% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 5% and Arts at 4%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #72 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 265 graduates earning median earnings of $72,558. The General Studies program graduates 242 students with median earnings of $59,017, and Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 231 graduates earning median earnings of $54,074.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
