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UCSC Salaries

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  • 4 Year
  • Santa Cruz, CA
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at University of California Santa Cruz

This page shows median first-year earnings for UCSC 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 $35,200 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $50,400. 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 $70,000 , followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at $67,800 , and Computer Science at $62,100 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $53,200 , followed by Economics (Master's Degree) at $45,100 .

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

Median first-year earnings for University of California Santa Cruz graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $70,000
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $67,800
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,100
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research (Master's Degree) $53,200
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $52,000
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,700
Economics (Master's Degree) $45,100
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $44,100
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,700
Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,000
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,700
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,700
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,700
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,100
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,700
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,900
Cognitive Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,700
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,800
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,800
Philosophy (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,700
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,600
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,400
Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,900
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,900
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,800
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,600
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,600
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,200
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,800
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,000
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,300
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,000

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering University of California Santa Cruz often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=110714.

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

Last updated: August 2026