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Career outcomes brief

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# University of California-Merced Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-california-merced/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-california-merced/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-california-merced/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-california-merced/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-california-merced/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much do University of California-Merced graduates earn?

The reported median is $65,410 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $8,109 per year.

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.

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.

An estimated 39.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that snapshot.

**Median earnings · four years after completion**
$65,410

**Rank for difference from expectations**
96th percentile

Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks

**University of California-Merced reported median**
$65,410

**Peer schools comparable schools · $8,109 below University of California-Merced**
$57,301

**Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $20,187 below University of California-Merced**
$45,223

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 $51,665 to $96,535, around the reported median of $65,410. Compare the lower scenario with [University of California-Merced borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-california-merced/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**
$51,665

**Median · reported**
$65,410

**Higher estimate**
$96,535

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 University of California-Merced 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).

University of California-Merced graduates’ reported earnings are $20,187 above that expectation, the 96th 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 University of California-Merced 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.**
+$6,582

**Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.**
+$13,605

**Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.**
+$20,187

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

## Which fields at University of California-Merced report the highest earnings?

The five largest programs at University of California-Merced show a clear split between high-earning engineering fields and more moderate-earning sciences. Computer Engineering leads in earnings at $102,575 four years after completion, with 219 degrees awarded.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #39 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Mechanical Engineering follows at $95,040 from 184 degrees awarded, ranked #54 nationally.

The largest program, Biology, awards 316 degrees and posts a median of $59,249, with an Azimuth national rank of #93. At the more moderate end, Public Health reports $56,393 across 141 degrees awarded, ranked #49 nationally.

The contrast between the engineering programs and the largest science and health programs is the main story in the earnings data.

University of California-Merced has 15 nationally ranked bachelor's programs. Engineering is the largest degree family, accounting for 23.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Psychology at 16.2%.

The largest single program is Biology, at 316 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #93 within its field, and graduates earn a median of $59,249 four years after completion.

The best-paid program is Computer Engineering, with 219 degrees awarded and median earnings of $102,575. Azimuth ranks it #39 nationally.

Mechanical Engineering is next, with 184 degrees awarded and median earnings of $95,040, and ranks #54.

Highest reported four-year program earnings

**Computer Engineering**
$102,575

**Mechanical Engineering**
$95,040

**Biomedical/Medical Engineering**
$88,795

**Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering**
$83,007

**Applied Mathematics**
$82,156

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
$68,277

**Economics**
$67,692

**Political Science and Government**
$62,815

[Explore University of California-Merced program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-california-merced/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context.

## Further analysis

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $51,665, a typical outcome of $65,410, and an upside of $96,535. The spread is wide, anchored by Computer Engineering at $102,575 on the high end and Public Health at $56,393 among the largest programs with published earnings on the low end, showing how much field of study shapes earnings.

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.

## 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/).