Strong graduate outcomes with earnings well above peer institutions. Robust earnings growth over time.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
UCLA graduates demonstrate steady earnings progression over time, rising from $59,063 at six years to $72,864 at eight years and $82,511 at ten years after enrollment. This 39.7% growth from the six-year to ten-year mark indicates sustained career advancement rather than early plateau effects.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Strong relative performance — graduates earn notably more than peers at comparable institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $14,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
UCLA graduates carry exceptionally manageable debt levels, with median borrowing of $14,000 compared to a peer median of $20,000. This $6,000 advantage represents 30% lower debt than similar institutions.
UCLA ranks at the 93.6th percentile for return on investment, reflecting excellent long-term value for educational investment. Graduates earn $13,353 beyond expectations compared to similar students nationally, placing UCLA at the 89.5th percentile for this value measure.
Approximately 24.2% of UCLA graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with high confidence. This substantia...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
UCLA's highest-earning programs are led by Electrical and Electronics Engineering at $110,760, followed by Applied Economics and Applied Mathematics, both exceeding $81,000 in median earnings. Applied Economics combines strong earnings with the largest enrollment of 833 graduates, demonstrating both accessibility and outcomes.
Mid-range earning programs like Multi-Interdisciplinary Studies ($65,593) and Biochemistry ($61,419) provide specialized career preparation with solid financial returns. Lower-earning programs such as African-American Studies ($51,490) and American History ($47,888) achieve exceptional national rankings and value scores despite moderate salary outcomes, reflecting their effectiveness in graduate school preparation and specialized career paths that may prioritize public service or academic advancement over immediate earnings maximization.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings outcomes show meaningful variation across career paths, with the range from $55,896 at the 25th percentile to $126,452 at the 75th percentile representing substantial upside potential. Low-income graduates earn $74,300, ranking in the top 5% nationally and demonstrating strong economic mobility outcomes.
