1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [San Francisco State University](/school/san-francisco-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # San Francisco State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/san-francisco-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/san-francisco-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/san-francisco-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/san-francisco-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/san-francisco-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do SF State graduates earn? The reported median is $67,804 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is $2,194 per year. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $67,804, in the 72nd percentile. That is $2,194 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $17,264 more than the model expects for similar students, a result at the 94th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,348. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $8,916. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,524. The earnings scenarios for San Francisco State University span from $53,482 to $92,130, reflecting the range of outcomes across the university's program clusters. The upside scenario is informed by programs such as Nursing, where completers earn a median of $150,102 four years after completion, and Electrical Engineering, where graduates earn $112,454. Among the largest programs, Computer Science shows median earnings of $105,166, and Business Administration and Management graduates earn $73,775. These program-level figures illustrate the variation captured by the institution-wide scenarios. An estimated 28.9% 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** $67,804 **Rank for difference from expectations** 94th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **SF State reported median** $67,804 **Peer schools comparable schools · $2,194 below SF State** $65,610 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $17,264 below SF State** $50,540 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 $53,482 to $92,130, around the reported median of $67,804. Compare the lower scenario with [SF State borrowing and monthly payments](/school/san-francisco-state-university/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** $53,482 **Median · reported** $67,804 **Higher estimate** $92,130 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 SF 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). SF State graduates’ reported earnings are $17,264 above that expectation, the 94th 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 SF 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.** +$8,348 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$8,916 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$17,264 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at SF State report the highest earnings? San Francisco State University awards bachelor's degrees across 48 fields with published four-year earnings, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 42 of them nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The highest-earning ranked program, Computer Science, shows a median of $105,166 four years after completion, alongside 293 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national field rank of #75. Among the largest programs, Business Administration and Management reports median earnings of $73,775 with 1,314 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #53. Psychology earns $55,902 and ranks #70 nationally on 398 degrees awarded. Criminal Justice reaches $63,764 with an Azimuth national rank of #14 and 266 degrees awarded. San Francisco State University offers 42 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with earnings data available for 48. The largest, Business Administration and Management, awarded 1,314 degrees and holds a national rank of #53, with graduates earning a median of $73,775 four years after completion. Among the university's best-ranked programs, Nursing ranks #3 nationally and #3 in California, with 162 degrees awarded and median earnings of $150,102. East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics follows at #4 nationally. Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies ranks #7 with median earnings of $59,990. Urban Studies/Affairs and Teacher Education also place in the top #8 and #9 nationally, respectively. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $150,102 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $112,454 **Computer Science** $105,166 **Mechanical Engineering** $102,104 **Computer Engineering** $94,129 **Civil Engineering** $90,894 **Economics** $82,697 **Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology** $76,134 [Explore SF State program cohorts and field ranks](/school/san-francisco-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show how earnings vary by field: a downside of $53,482, a typical outcome of $67,804, and an upside of $92,130. Among the largest programs, Computer Science reaches $105,166 at the high end, while Psychology sits at $55,902 at the lower end. San Francisco State University records a median of $67,804 four years after completion among 6,658 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That earnings level sits in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The figure runs above the $65,610 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,194. By the earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the same completers earn about $17,264 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix span from a downside of $53,482 to an upside of $92,130, with a typical scenario of $67,804. Derived from program mix rather than observed enrollment, the model estimates a 28.9% graduate-school continuation rate. ## 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/).