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Programs & majors brief

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# Sonoma State University Majors & Programs

Updated September 30, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at Sonoma State University?

Sonoma State University's strongest nationally ranked programs span both high-earning technical fields and larger social-science and education programs. Education holds an Azimuth national rank of #2 and the top spot in California, with 130 degrees awarded and median earnings of $52,842 four years after completion.

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies ranks #4 nationally and #2 in California, awarding 47 degrees and reaching $64,116. Nursing follows at #6 nationally, and #6 in California, with 63 degrees awarded and median earnings of $143,886.

The highest-earning program, Nursing, reaches $143,886 on 63 degrees awarded. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awards 421 degrees and earns a median of $75,887.

Psychology, with 213 degrees awarded, reports $57,335 and an Azimuth national rank of #62. The spread between a top-ranked field like Education and a larger moderate-earning program like Psychology shows the range of earnings outcomes across the university's programs.

### 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**421 · 18.7%**
-   Social sciences**317 · 14.1%**
-   Psychology**213 · 9.5%**
-   Liberal arts**137 · 6.1%**
-   Education**130 · 5.8%**
-   Other**1,032 · 45.9%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

32 of 32 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 63 degrees awarded**
$143,886

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 25 degrees awarded**
$112,757

**Computer Science 62 degrees awarded**
$106,181

**Economics 31 degrees awarded**
$83,668

**Business Administration, Management and Operations 421 degrees awarded**
$75,887

**Natural Resources Conservation and Research 21 degrees awarded**
$69,077

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 | 63 | $143,886 | #6 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 25 | $112,757 | — |
| Computer Science | 62 | $106,181 | #105 |
| Economics | 31 | $83,668 | #102 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 421 | $75,887 | #63 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 21 | $69,077 | #21 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 103 | $68,833 | #31 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 116 | $67,351 | #24 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 69 | $66,892 | #13 |
| Music | 33 | $65,533 | — |
| Political Science and Government | 42 | $65,009 | #115 |
| Mathematics small degree count | 18 | $64,913 | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 47 | $64,116 | #4 |
| Anthropology | 29 | $62,674 | #9 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 137 | $59,444 | #38 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 81 | $59,418 | #34 |
| Psychology, General | 213 | $57,335 | #62 |
| History | 44 | $56,819 | #63 |
| Sociology | 142 | $56,581 | #54 |
| Biology, General | 86 | $56,345 | #218 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 53 | $53,489 | #58 |
| Education, Other | 130 | $52,842 | #2 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 40 | $52,672 | #34 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 46 | $46,022 | #66 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 26 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Statistics small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy | 21 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Chemistry | 24 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 73 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft small degree count | 17 | 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 Sonoma State University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
421

**Psychology, General**
213

**Sociology**
142

**Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**
137

**Education, Other**
130

**Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**
116

**Communication and Media Studies**
103

**Biology, General**
86

**English Language and Literature, General**
81

**Geography and Cartography**
73

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

## How do Sonoma State University majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Education, Other**#2**
2.  Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies**#4**
3.  Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**#6**
4.  Anthropology**#9**
5.  Criminal Justice and Corrections**#13**
6.  Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#21**
7.  Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**#24**
8.  Communication and Media Studies**#31**
9.  Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services**#34**
10.  English Language and Literature, General**#34**
11.  Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**#38**

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 Sonoma State University vary sharply by field, and [Azimuth's program ranking](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)s are built to surface that variation. The rankings evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation.

Award counts here are degrees conferred in one academic year. The university has 24 programs with published earnings data, 21 of which carry an Azimuth national rank.

The three largest program families are Business, at 18.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Social Sciences at 14.1%, and Psychology at 9.5%. Among the ranked programs, Education stands out: Azimuth ranks it #2 nationally and #1 in California, with graduates earning a median of $52,842 four years after completion.

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies also performs well, ranked #4 nationally and #2 in the state, with median earnings of $64,116 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $143,886 four years after completion.

## 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/).