Azimuth places the return pillar at the 74th 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 $65,410, in the 67th percentile.
That is $8,109 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $20,187 more than the model expects for similar students.
That places the gap at the 96th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,582.
The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $13,605. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $5,781.
Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of University of California-Merced who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $65,410. That figure is drawn from 1,620 completers and sits $8,109 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Graduates earn about $20,187 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students is at the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $51,665 to an upside of $96,535. An estimated 39.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix, so the four-year earnings picture captures most but not all near-term outcomes.
Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $65,410. That figure lands at the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
That median is $8,109 above the $57,301 median typical for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks University of California-Merced #387 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $20,187 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap falls at the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions in the current Azimuth coverage set.
The part the model attributes to the factors it can measure (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,582. The remainder the model does not explain adds $13,605.
Within all the measured factors, the STEM component alone adds $5,781. The degrees awarded cluster heavily in engineering and the sciences, and 45.0% of all bachelor's degrees awarded are in STEM fields.
Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $51,665 on the downside to $96,535 on the upside, a wide range. An estimated 39.7% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the overall program mix.
The spread between the downside and upside earnings scenarios is wide: $51,665 at the lower end against $96,535 at the upper end. Program choice matters a great deal here.
At the top, Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $102,575 four years after completion, from 219 degrees awarded. Mechanical Engineering follows at $95,040 with 184 degrees awarded, and Biomedical Engineering at $88,795 from a smaller cohort of 37 degrees awarded.
The price case at University of California-Merced starts with what aid recipients actually pay. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $11,983, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is $20,789.
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $16,144 in federal student loans. That is $5,085 below the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions.
It corresponds to an estimated payment of $183 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $18,376 in Parent PLUS loans. Graduates earn about $20,187 more than the model expects for similar students.