Graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn median earnings of $67,085 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 71.1 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 $5,034 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 76.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #528 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of California-Santa Cruz reflects a program mix anchored in Computer Science, which accounts for 14% of degrees awarded — the largest concentration by far, followed by Arts at 9% and Business at 6%. Computer Science combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key driver of the university's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #36 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment per the program-ranking methodology, with 607 graduates earning median earnings of $123,422. The Psychology, General program graduates 431 students with median earnings of $59,948, and Azimuth ranks it #32 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment. Business/Managerial Economics and Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences round out the high-earning programs, with graduates earning $82,064 and $69,849 respectively four years after enrollment.
Graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn median earnings of $67,085 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 71.1 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 $5,034 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 76.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #528 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of California-Santa Cruz reflects a program mix anchored in Computer Science, which accounts for 14% of degrees awarded — the largest concentration by far, followed by Arts at 9% and Business at 6%. Computer Science combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key driver of the university's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #36 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment per the program-ranking methodology, with 607 graduates earning median earnings of $123,422. The Psychology, General program graduates 431 students with median earnings of $59,948, and Azimuth ranks it #32 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment. Business/Managerial Economics and Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences round out the high-earning programs, with graduates earning $82,064 and $69,849 respectively four years after enrollment.
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-Santa Cruz earn median earnings of $67,085 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 71.1 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 $5,034 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 76.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #528 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of California-Santa Cruz reflects a program mix anchored in Computer Science, which accounts for 14% of degrees awarded — the largest concentration by far, followed by Arts at 9% and Business at 6%. Computer Science combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key driver of the university's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #36 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment per the program-ranking methodology, with 607 graduates earning median earnings of $123,422. The Psychology, General program graduates 431 students with median earnings of $59,948, and Azimuth ranks it #32 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment. Business/Managerial Economics and Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences round out the high-earning programs, with graduates earning $82,064 and $69,849 respectively four years after enrollment.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
University of California-Santa Cruz's program mix is anchored in Computer Science, which shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and labor-market positioning. Social Sciences accounts for 14% of graduates, followed by Arts at 9% and Business at 6%. Across 40 programs serving roughly 4,741 students annually, 32 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a portfolio that balances computing strength with breadth in the social and biological sciences. The highest-earning programs reflect University of California-Santa Cruz's computing concentration. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #36 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 607 graduates earning $123,422. Azimuth ranks Business/Managerial Economics #9 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 287 graduates earning $82,064. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with strong pay — 607 graduates earning $123,422 — making it the program that contributes most to University of California-Santa Cruz's aggregate earnings outcomes. For context on how Azimuth evaluates programs, see the methodology. The Beyond computing, Psychology, General program graduates 431 students with median earnings of $59,948, and the The Business/Managerial Economics program graduates 287 students earning $82,064. These are fields where four-year earnings may undercount lifetime trajectory, since a meaningful share of graduates continue to graduate or professional school. Computing and engineering programs, by contrast, are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect national labor-market demand — context the supply-demand map explores in detail. ```
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn median earnings of $67,085 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 71.1 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 $5,034 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 76.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #528 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of California-Santa Cruz reflects a program mix anchored in Computer Science, which accounts for 14% of degrees awarded — the largest concentration by far, followed by Arts at 9% and Business at 6%. Computer Science combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key driver of the university's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #36 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment per the program-ranking methodology, with 607 graduates earning median earnings of $123,422. The Psychology, General program graduates 431 students with median earnings of $59,948, and Azimuth ranks it #32 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment. Business/Managerial Economics and Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences round out the high-earning programs, with graduates earning $82,064 and $69,849 respectively four years after enrollment.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
