

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology
What happens to students who enroll at California State University-Sacramento, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
Typical debt at graduation equals about 23% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.
Earnings rank: 63rd percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (CA wage index 1.21). This drives the Outcome Rating.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.
Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.
| Major | 1 yr after | 4 yrs after | vs. national | Rank (pay) | Rank (wage-adj.) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $116,001 | $129,960 | +46% | #11 of 966 | #16 | $13,750 |
| Construction Engineering | $90,836 | $114,594 | +18% | #2 of 13 | #6 | $14,514 |
| Computer Engineering | $66,266 | $104,394 | -4% | #102 of 189 | #148 | $17,500 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $74,450 | $103,512 | +3% | #74 of 258 | #204 | $16,500 |
| Civil Engineering | $71,342 | $93,973 | +9% | #26 of 233 | #133 | $18,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $66,462 | $93,878 | +2% | #108 of 318 | #264 | $16,532 |
| Computer Science | $60,028 | $92,519 | -14% | #223 of 349 | #282 | $15,004 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | — | $82,062 | +60% | #1 of 345 | #4 | — |
| Geography and Cartography | $48,227 | $75,234 | +30% | #8 of 117 | #15 | $15,974 |
| Chemistry | $42,581 | $74,430 | +14% | #44 of 209 | #89 | $26,263 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | — | $73,418 | +22% | #10 of 138 | #33 | $15,000 |
| Economics | $49,312 | $70,290 | -15% | #269 of 368 | #309 | $15,493 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $37,308 | $67,795 | +23% | #26 of 265 | #49 | $20,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $48,492 | $67,636 | -1% | #456 of 1176 | #769 | $13,490 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | $44,162 | $67,182 | +10% | #45 of 156 | #63 | $14,979 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $46,689 | $66,885 | +2% | #51 of 110 | #77 | $16,500 |
| Philosophy | $29,326 | $65,115 | +20% | #18 of 86 | #32 | $14,753 |
| Physics | — | $64,133 | -16% | #100 of 107 | #104 | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $22,915 | $63,013 | +7% | #53 of 215 | #150 | $16,250 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $38,606 | $62,583 | +13% | #90 of 660 | #294 | $13,138 |
| Biology | $37,192 | $61,775 | +8% | #282 of 841 | #499 | $14,900 |
| Interior Architecture | $50,108 | $61,410 | +2% | #10 of 17 | #15 | $16,500 |
| Gerontology | $38,461 | $60,868 | +13% | #2 of 6 | #3 | $19,831 |
| Political Science and Government | $36,189 | $60,278 | -5% | #314 of 565 | #437 | $15,850 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $39,304 | $59,404 | +5% | #186 of 660 | #340 | $15,000 |
| Mathematics | $30,851 | $59,162 | -15% | #256 of 309 | #290 | $16,716 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $31,901 | $59,142 | +8% | #134 of 610 | #327 | $17,000 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $40,338 | $59,041 | +16% | #8 of 63 | #22 | $19,181 |
| Social Work | $37,290 | $58,280 | +13% | #76 of 420 | #217 | $16,750 |
| Sociology | $37,040 | $56,886 | +8% | #128 of 462 | #238 | $14,975 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $30,286 | $56,637 | +7% | #150 of 476 | #279 | $15,000 |
| Social Sciences | $39,061 | $56,363 | +6% | #31 of 87 | #50 | $16,097 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $30,628 | $56,188 | +9% | #29 of 103 | #44 | $15,000 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | $33,869 | $55,830 | +15% | #5 of 49 | #16 | $13,750 |
| History | $32,596 | $55,797 | +10% | #118 of 459 | #233 | $18,471 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $33,783 | $55,146 | +9% | #52 of 177 | #122 | $16,500 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $32,240 | $53,871 | +5% | #137 of 299 | #190 | $15,750 |
| Psychology | $32,603 | $53,237 | +5% | #340 of 1027 | #644 | $15,000 |
| Journalism | $30,644 | $53,145 | -6% | #116 of 187 | #158 | $20,000 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $34,117 | $52,028 | -5% | #161 of 225 | #197 | $18,000 |
| English Language and Literature | $32,531 | $50,680 | +4% | #225 of 576 | #381 | $15,000 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $31,950 | $49,847 | +3% | #66 of 172 | #130 | $15,625 |
| Anthropology | $32,460 | $48,367 | +4% | #74 of 188 | #124 | $18,750 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $23,000 | $47,676 | +20% | #27 of 255 | #76 | $16,396 |
| Music | $25,391 | $42,774 | +-0% | #145 of 268 | #199 | $19,241 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $24,618 | $42,392 | -3% | #92 of 144 | #116 | $15,568 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $20,203 | $41,969 | +1% | #200 of 423 | #306 | $15,173 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $26,968 | — | — | — | — | — |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.
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Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.
| Category | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $5,742 | $17,622 |
| Room | $8,208 | |
| Board | $5,696 | |
| Total Cost (On-Campus) | $29,418 | $41,298 |
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $7,306 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $8,214 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $10,861 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,618 |
| $110,001+ | $20,649 |
Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.
Careers that graduates from California State University-Sacramento's top programs commonly pursue.
Deciding between a dorm and buying near campus? Run the numbers for California State University-Sacramento — four years of dorm costs vs. owning, including what you’d recover at resale. Buy vs Dorm calculator →
Compare with other 4-Year public institutions of similar size.
Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: October 2026 | Methodology