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UCSB Salaries

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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at University of California Santa Barbara

This page shows median first-year earnings for UCSB 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 $39,500 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $59,000. 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 $77,900 , followed by Computer Engineering at $75,800 , and Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at $66,400 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Education (Doctoral Degree), with median first-year earnings of $56,200 , followed by Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degree) at $55,100 , and Education (Master's Degree) at $54,500 .

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

Median first-year earnings for University of California Santa Barbara graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $77,900
Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $75,800
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $66,400
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $59,200
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $56,600
Education (Doctoral Degree) $56,200
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degree) $55,100
Education (Master's Degree) $54,500
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $46,400
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $45,500
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $45,100
Statistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $43,400
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,900
Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,400
Physics (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,100
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,300
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,000
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,700
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,400
Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,200
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,900
International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,200
Philosophy (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,200
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,200
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,100
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,000
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,700
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,900
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,200
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,800
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,000
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,400
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,000
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,000
Zoology/Animal Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,200
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,900

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering University of California Santa Barbara often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=110705.

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

Last updated: August 2026