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UC Merced Salaries

  • 5/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Merced, CA
  • 3.0 1 review
#15 Best Public Universities in California
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at University of California Merced

This page shows median first-year earnings for UC Merced 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 $36,600 per year. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

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

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Computer Engineering, with median first-year earnings of $47,500 , followed by Mechanical Engineering at $44,300 , and Economics at $40,300 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is .

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

Median first-year earnings for University of California Merced graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $47,500
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $44,300
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,700
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,500
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,000
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,600
Cognitive Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,000
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,000
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,900
Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,700

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering University of California Merced often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=445188.

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

Last updated: August 2026