Programs & majors brief
University of California-Santa Cruz Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at UC Santa Cruz?
40 of 40 programs shown
Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.
Compare all matching programs
| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | 132 | $124,641 | #27 |
| Computer Science | 607 | $123,422 | #45 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 40 | $118,290 | #17 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering small degree count | 11 | $98,567 | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 98 | $94,589 | #12 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 49 | $88,305 | #3 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 287 | $82,064 | #10 |
| Economics | 162 | $76,382 | #103 |
| Cognitive Science | 129 | $72,125 | #12 |
| Chemistry | 54 | $71,348 | #34 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 237 | $69,849 | #6 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 62 | $69,027 | #19 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 114 | $66,333 | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 131 | $66,244 | #7 |
| Political Science and Government | 172 | $65,890 | #80 |
| Biology, General | 184 | $65,036 | #83 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 42 | $64,499 | #26 |
| History | 93 | $60,519 | #40 |
| Psychology, General | 431 | $59,948 | #37 |
| Mathematics | 116 | $59,214 | #141 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 31 | $56,620 | #3 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 122 | $55,798 | #14 |
| Sociology | 223 | $55,338 | #63 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 153 | $55,240 | #60 |
| Anthropology | 110 | $52,315 | #17 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 14 | $51,519 | — |
| Philosophy | 60 | $51,398 | #32 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 124 | $49,821 | #18 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 192 | $49,763 | #19 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 172 | $45,815 | #26 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 101 | $40,156 | #129 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 31 | $30,524 | #133 |
| Plant Sciences small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Agricultural Production Operations small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 58 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 46 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 50 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics | 44 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physical Sciences, General | 25 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Music small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at UC Santa Cruz?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
How do UC Santa Cruz majors rank nationally?
National program rankings
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology#3
- Community Organization and Advocacy#3
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences#6
- Non-Professional Legal Studies#7
- Business/Managerial Economics#10
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management#12
- Cognitive Science#12
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies#14
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering#17
- Anthropology#17
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology#18
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services#19
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences#19
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences#26
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts#26
- Computer Engineering#27
- Philosophy#32
- Chemistry#34
- Psychology, General#37
- History#40
- Computer Science#45
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.
Further analysis
Outcomes at University of California-Santa Cruz vary sharply by field, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate what graduates earn rather than reputation. The rankings assess four-year earnings among federally aided completers, median debt, and cohort size.
The university has 32 programs with published earnings data, 29 of which carry an Azimuth national rank. Award counts here are degrees conferred in one academic year, not a count of students.
The degree mix is spread across three large families: Computer & Information Sciences accounts for 14.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Biological Sciences for 14.8%, and Social Sciences for 14.1%. The largest single program is Computer Science, at 607 degrees awarded and a median of $123,422 four years after completion, which Azimuth ranks #45 nationally.
A smaller program, Computer Engineering, posts the highest earnings at $124,641 from 132 degrees awarded. Among the best-ranked programs, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology sits at #3 nationally with earnings of $88,305, while Community Organization and Advocacy ranks #3 and graduates earn $56,620.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, 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.