1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [California State University-Stanislaus](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # California State University-Stanislaus Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/)[Cost & aid](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/admissions/)[Majors](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Stan State graduates earn? The reported median is $58,952 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $1,651 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of California State University-Stanislaus who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,952, at the 47th percentile nationally. That is $1,651 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $13,797 more than the model expects for similar students, placing that gap at the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,236. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $10,561. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $128. Azimuth places the university at the 61st percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $47,668 on the downside to $80,979 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the top of the range, Nursing graduates earn $126,959 four years after completion, from 125 degrees awarded a year. Health Sciences follows at $80,630, with 51 degrees awarded. The largest program, Psychology, reports $50,348 from 478 degrees awarded, so the highest-earning fields are not the ones producing the most graduates. An estimated 32.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the institution's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $58,952 **Rank for difference from expectations** 90th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Stan State reported median** $58,952 **Peer schools comparable schools · $1,651 below Stan State** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $13,797 below Stan State** $45,155 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $47,668 to $80,979, around the reported median of $58,952. Compare the lower scenario with [Stan State borrowing and monthly payments](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $47,668 **Median · reported** $58,952 **Higher estimate** $80,979 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Stan State graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Stan State graduates’ reported earnings are $13,797 above that expectation, the 90th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Stan State caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,236 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$10,561 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$13,797 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Stan State report the highest earnings? Three programs at California State University-Stanislaus carry Azimuth national ranks, and the contrast between the university's highest-earning fields and its largest programs is sharp. Nursing leads with a median of $126,959 four years after completion, on 125 degrees awarded. Health Sciences follows at $80,630 with 51 degrees awarded. Among the largest programs, Business Administration and Management reaches $63,677 and ranks #141 nationally in its field, while Psychology — the biggest by degrees awarded at 478 — shows a more moderate median of $50,348 and an Azimuth national rank of #113. Criminal Justice ranks #112 nationally and #15 in California, with median earnings of $51,740 on 195 degrees awarded. California State University-Stanislaus has 18 nationally ranked bachelor's programs and publishes earnings data for 23 programs. The largest program, Psychology, awarded 478 degrees and holds a national rank of #113 with median earnings of $50,348 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management awarded 409 degrees, ranks #141 nationally, and its completers earn a median of $63,677. Criminal Justice awarded 195 degrees, ranks #112 nationally and #15 in California, with median earnings of $51,740. The highest-earning ranked program is Business Administration and Management, with median earnings of $63,677. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $126,959 **Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General** $80,630 **Chemistry** $73,392 **Computer Science** $71,601 **Economics** $69,967 **Mathematics** $65,184 **Agriculture, General** $64,669 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $63,677 [Explore Stan State program cohorts and field ranks](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a downside of $47,668, a typical outcome of $58,952, and an upside of $80,979. Anchoring the range in named programs, Nursing graduates earn a median of $126,959 four years after completion, while Sociology, the lowest-earning among the largest programs, sits at $46,340. Federally aided completers from California State University-Stanislaus who are working and not enrolled four years after finishing earn a median of $58,952. Those figures draw on a cohort of 2,650 completers. That median lands at the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $13,797 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome places the earnings gap at the 90th percentile. Earnings scenarios are estimates tied to the program mix, not observed outcomes for specific students. The earnings scenarios run from $47,668 on the downside to $80,979 on the upside, with a typical outcome of $58,952. An estimated 32.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## 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/).