Federal data
Highest earning computer science programs in California
California computer science programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley | Public, 4-year | $149,866 | 318 |
| 2 | Stanford University | Stanford | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $138,613 | 91 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $137,284 | 123 |
| 4 | Harvey Mudd College | Claremont | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $132,265 | 31 |
| 5 | University of California-San Diego | La Jolla | Public, 4-year | $112,006 | 266 |
| 6 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Public, 4-year | $111,141 | 146 |
| 7 | University of California-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Public, 4-year | $107,776 | 62 |
| 8 | University of the Pacific | Stockton | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $90,476 | 43 |
| 9 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $89,915 | 61 |
| 10 | University of California-Irvine | Irvine | Public, 4-year | $82,161 | 595 |
| 11 | University of California-Riverside | Riverside | Public, 4-year | $81,034 | 163 |
| 12 | California State University-Chico | Chico | Public, 4-year | $81,021 | 60 |
| 13 | University of California-Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Public, 4-year | $75,150 | 550 |
| 14 | San Diego State University | San Diego | Public, 4-year | $74,523 | 188 |
| 15 | California State University-Monterey Bay | Seaside | Public, 4-year | $71,458 | 172 |
| 16 | Sonoma State University | Rohnert Park | Public, 4-year | $66,481 | 57 |
| 17 | California State University-Northridge | Northridge | Public, 4-year | $62,821 | 137 |
| 18 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | Pomona | Public, 4-year | $60,740 | 244 |
| 19 | California State University-San Marcos | San Marcos | Public, 4-year | $60,645 | 130 |
| 20 | California State University-Long Beach | Long Beach | Public, 4-year | $60,378 | 224 |
| 21 | California State University-East Bay | Hayward | Public, 4-year | $60,371 | 98 |
| 22 | California State University-Sacramento | Sacramento | Public, 4-year | $60,028 | 319 |
| 23 | California State University-Channel Islands | Camarillo | Public, 4-year | $59,374 | 60 |
| 24 | California State University-Fullerton | Fullerton | Public, 4-year | $57,307 | 289 |
| 25 | California State University-Fresno | Fresno | Public, 4-year | $53,566 | 44 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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