Higher Education Outcome Report · West

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California Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 323 degree-granting institutions graded

California's higher education system is a above-average mobility and higher earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $56,198, +9% vs the national median.

technology
entertainment & media
agriculture

622
INSTITUTIONS: $56,198
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 9% vs natl; $19,565
AVG NET PRICE: 172 / 155
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

A-

73/100 · #4 of 50

California At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

323

1,670,244 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~225,247

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
48th pct

$49,732

26th of 50 states
Mobility Score
89th pct

2.5%

5th of 46 states
Talent Retention
74th pct

77%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
76th pct

3.4x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Humanities
Social Sciences
Business

Executive Summary

Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 2.5% rate, in the 89th percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Humanities and Social Sciences, which together account for 38% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $69,224, +34.2% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 10.3% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, California returns 3.4x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.
The state's strongest mobility engine is Glendale Community College, which moves bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 7.1% rate, the highest in California.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+6.8%

Median graduate earnings in California are above the national average by 7%.
Cost vs National

+16%

Net price in California is higher than the national average by 16%.
Mobility Rate

+0.7pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.7 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

+4.5pp

California's graduation rate is 4.5 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

1565.2x

Top value school: Canada College ($50,087 earnings vs $32 net price).
Low-Income Access

12.2%

12% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Humanities (20% of graduates) and Social Sciences (18% of graduates) dominate California's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $46,430.

Humanities

20%

$46,430 avg
Social Sciences

18%

$60,854 avg
Business

16%

$58,529 avg
Healthcare

9%

$60,246 avg
Technology

8%

$64,250 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 12

Outcome Performance

California's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Construction Trades), where graduates average $43,292 against a net cost of $7,096, a 6.1x return. That's -16.1% vs the national median.

Construction Trades
6.1x

$43,292 earnings $7,096 net -16.1% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
5.6x

$42,840 earnings $7,602 net -16.9% vs natl
Legal Studies
5.0x

$49,727 earnings $9,893 net -3.6% vs natl
Criminal Justice
4.6x

$48,579 earnings $10,550 net -5.8% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
4.5x

$42,895 earnings $9,449 net -16.8% vs natl
Engineering
4.5x

$59,005 earnings $13,136 net +14.4% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on California's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Humanities 19%
Business & Marketing 16%
Social Sciences 10%
Health Professions 9%
Psychology 8%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $84,899
Biology & Biomedical $67,140
Computer Science & IT $64,723
Mathematics & Statistics $63,008
Social Sciences $61,777

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun California's graduate supply.

Engineering $84,899 4% of grads
Biology & Biomedical $67,140 6% of grads
Computer Science & IT $64,723 6% of grads
Mathematics & Statistics $63,008 2% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

California's colleges post an average mobility rate of 2.5%, which puts the state in the 89th percentile nationally. 11% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households, a larger share than most states enroll. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.44, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

2.5%

▲ +0.81pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

11%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

30%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

47%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

77%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.44

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

California's Sciences programs produce graduates earning $69,224, +34.2% relative to the national median. Humanities graduates, however, earn 10.3% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Humanities
20% of enrollment

$46,283 -10.3% vs natl

111 schools
Social Sciences
18% of enrollment

$58,973 +14.3% vs natl

137 schools
Business
16% of enrollment

$54,919 +6.5% vs natl

166 schools
Healthcare
9% of enrollment

$54,498 +5.7% vs natl

132 schools
Technology
8% of enrollment

$66,506 +29% vs natl

56 schools
Sciences
7% of enrollment

$69,224 +34.2% vs natl

62 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Sciences: +34.2% vs national earnings ($69,224)

Technology: +29% vs national earnings ($66,506)

Social Sciences: +14.3% vs national earnings ($58,973)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -10.3% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

California's higher education system includes 13 research-oriented, 87 specialized, 30 access-oriented, 193 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

13

Research Universities
193

Regional Universities
30

Access-Oriented Institutions
87

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

50% of California's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $49,997 at 10 years. At the premium end, 28 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $61,734.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

115

50% of schools
Avg earnings: $49,997
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

30

13% of schools
Avg earnings: $56,182
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

52

23% of schools
Avg earnings: $63,323
NET PRICE OVER $40K

28

12% of schools
Avg earnings: $61,734

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in California

California is home to 622 colleges and universities, from 172 public institutions to 155 private nonprofits. California State University-Fullerton anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $46,839 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Psychology. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in California

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $20,975 a year across California. California State University-Stanislaus stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

California's economy leans on technology, entertainment & media and agriculture, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Psychology feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the California level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in California earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$46,839

▲ +$3,002 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$20,975

▼ +$2,899 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.2x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is California Right for You?

California is a strong fit if you want to build a career in technology and entertainment & media, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Samuel Merritt University · CA Harvey Mudd College · CA California Institute of Technology · CA Stanford University · CA Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health · CA Gnomon · CA

FAQ

How many colleges are in California?

There are 622 colleges and universities in California in our dataset — 172 public, 155 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in California?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Samuel Merritt University leads, followed by schools like Harvey Mudd College and California Institute of Technology.

How much does college cost in California?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $20,975 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in California?

California's economy is anchored by technology, entertainment & media and agriculture, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in California?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. California State University-Stanislaus, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 622 schools in California

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

622 institutions in California

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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