California State University San Marcos campus

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California State University-San Marcos Salaries

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  • San Marcos, CA
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at California State University San Marcos

This page shows median first-year earnings for California State University-San Marcos graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $38,100 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $49,100. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, with median first-year earnings of $83,300 , followed by Computer Science at $63,600 , and Accounting and Related Services at $51,400 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $100,400 , followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $71,700 , and Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) at $62,300 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for California State University San Marcos graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for California State University San Marcos graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) $100,400
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) $83,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $71,700
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $63,600
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) $62,300
Education (Master's Degree) $58,500
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $51,400
Social Work (Master's Degree) $48,800
Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $45,900
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $45,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $43,100
Physics (Bachelor’s Degree) $39,600
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,300
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,400
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,800
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,300
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,900
Criminology (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,500
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,800
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,200
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,700
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,900
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,100
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,300
Social Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,100
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,800
Visual and Performing Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,200

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering California State University San Marcos often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=366711.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026