Graduates of University of California-San Diego earn median earnings of $83,130 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-San Diego in the 87.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $24,815 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of California-San Diego in the 97.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-San Diego #105 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at University of California-San Diego leans heavily toward the sciences: Biological Sciences is the dominant program family, with Social Sciences accounting for 12% of graduates, Engineering for 11%, and other STEM fields for 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the university's overall return profile. Among the highest-earning programs, Azimuth ranks Cognitive Science #5 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $81,160 at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #20 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $159,487. International/Globalization Studies and Economics round out the top earners, with Azimuth ranking them #1 and #48 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions respectively and graduates earning median earnings of $81,174 and $87,307 four years after enrollment. The university also offers an honors program, per program guidelines, signaling structured pathways for students pursuing graduate study or research-intensive careers.
Graduates of University of California-San Diego earn median earnings of $83,130 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-San Diego in the 87.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $24,815 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of California-San Diego in the 97.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-San Diego #105 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at University of California-San Diego leans heavily toward the sciences: Biological Sciences is the dominant program family, with Social Sciences accounting for 12% of graduates, Engineering for 11%, and other STEM fields for 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the university's overall return profile. Among the highest-earning programs, Azimuth ranks Cognitive Science #5 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $81,160 at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #20 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $159,487. International/Globalization Studies and Economics round out the top earners, with Azimuth ranking them #1 and #48 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions respectively and graduates earning median earnings of $81,174 and $87,307 four years after enrollment. The university also offers an honors program, per program guidelines, signaling structured pathways for students pursuing graduate study or research-intensive careers.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of University of California-San Diego earn median earnings of $83,130 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-San Diego in the 87.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $24,815 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of California-San Diego in the 97.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-San Diego #105 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at University of California-San Diego leans heavily toward the sciences: Biological Sciences is the dominant program family, with Social Sciences accounting for 12% of graduates, Engineering for 11%, and other STEM fields for 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the university's overall return profile. Among the highest-earning programs, Azimuth ranks Cognitive Science #5 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $81,160 at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #20 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $159,487. International/Globalization Studies and Economics round out the top earners, with Azimuth ranking them #1 and #48 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions respectively and graduates earning median earnings of $81,174 and $87,307 four years after enrollment. The university also offers an honors program, per program guidelines, signaling structured pathways for students pursuing graduate study or research-intensive careers.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
University of California-San Diego's program mix is anchored in Biological Sciences, which accounts for 12% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 11% and other STEM fields at 5%. That biological-sciences concentration reflects the university's research identity — infrastructure like the Sanford Stem Cell Discovery Center, per the university's research page, underscores the depth of lab-science investment on campus. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences is the largest program by graduates (769 annually), and the breadth of the life-sciences pipeline feeds both direct-to-workforce and graduate-school-dependent career paths. Across 66 programs serving roughly 9,413 students annually, 46 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. The strongest earnings come from quantitative and applied fields. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #20 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $159,487 — the highest four-year figure at the institution. Azimuth ranks Economics #48 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning $87,307, and Azimuth ranks International/Globalization Studies #1 nationally with graduates earning $81,174. Among the most popular programs, Azimuth ranks Computer Science #20 nationally with 591 graduates earning $159,487, and Azimuth ranks International/Globalization Studies #1 nationally with 537 graduates earning $81,174. Several of University of California-San Diego's largest programs are grad-school-dependent pathways — notably Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences and Cognitive Science — where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to medical school, doctoral programs, or other advanced study. Computer Science, Economics, and Cognitive Science are high-mobility programs where graduates enter the national labor market directly and four-year earnings reflect workforce outcomes. The provides context for how these fields align with national wage trends and employer demand. ```
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of University of California-San Diego earn median earnings of $83,130 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-San Diego in the 87.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $24,815 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of California-San Diego in the 97.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-San Diego #105 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at University of California-San Diego leans heavily toward the sciences: Biological Sciences is the dominant program family, with Social Sciences accounting for 12% of graduates, Engineering for 11%, and other STEM fields for 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the university's overall return profile. Among the highest-earning programs, Azimuth ranks Cognitive Science #5 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $81,160 at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #20 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $159,487. International/Globalization Studies and Economics round out the top earners, with Azimuth ranking them #1 and #48 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions respectively and graduates earning median earnings of $81,174 and $87,307 four years after enrollment. The university also offers an honors program, per program guidelines, signaling structured pathways for students pursuing graduate study or research-intensive careers.
