University of California San Diego campus

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UCSD Salaries

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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at University of California San Diego

This page shows median first-year earnings for UCSD 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 $43,500 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $67,900. 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 Science, with median first-year earnings of $80,800 , followed by Computer Engineering at $77,400 , and Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology at $67,800 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Computer Science (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $141,200 , followed by Engineering, Other (Master's Degree) at $109,700 , and Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $99,700 .

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

Median first-year earnings for University of California San Diego graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Computer Science (Master's Degree) $141,200
Engineering, Other (Master's Degree) $109,700
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $99,700
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degree) $89,900
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $80,800
Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $77,400
Civil Engineering (Master's Degree) $68,400
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $67,800
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Master's Degree) $66,800
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,900
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,000
Medicine (Doctoral Degree) $57,100
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $56,700
Biology (Doctoral Degree) $55,600
Education (Master's Degree) $54,700
Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $54,000
International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degree) $52,100
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $50,700
Engineering, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $50,000
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $48,200
Chemistry (Doctoral Degree) $47,400
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $43,300
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $42,000
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $39,900
Biology (Master's Degree) $39,100
Urban Studies/Affairs (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,700
International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,500
Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,500
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,900
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,300
Cognitive Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,200
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degree) $34,700
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,800
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,000
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,200
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,000
Public Health (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,000
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,500
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,000
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,900
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,500
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,300
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,300
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,400
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,300
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,000
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degree) $23,800
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,400
Physics (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,400
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $18,500
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $16,500
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $14,800
Visual and Performing Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $12,700

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Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=110680.

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

Last updated: August 2026