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California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 21,478 Undergrads 68.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$17,153
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$4,113
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,211
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$4,113
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$59,211
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate68.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients66.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time82.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
91.9%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$511k
+$114k
+$26k
Median Cost$4k/yr
+$496k
+$99k
+$12k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$449k
+$53k
-$35k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
44
∞
Median Cost$4k/yr
53
78%
Full Cost$17k/yr
Never
-57%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return4%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-38%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Air Transportation
BachCIP: 4901
Median Debt
$14,914
Earnings (5yr)
$63,042
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$14,199
Earnings (5yr)
$42,878
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$16,156
Earnings (5yr)
$66,319
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$12,460
Earnings (5yr)
$56,983
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (5yr)
$64,019
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$99,644
Lifetime Value Added
+$326k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
BachCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$11,900
Earnings (5yr)
$45,345
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$13,200
Earnings (5yr)
$69,513
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$14,429
Earnings (5yr)
$100,735
Lifetime Value Added
+$334k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,580
Lifetime Value Added
-$237
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
BachCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,358
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$10,571
Earnings (2yr)
$14,627
Lifetime Value Added
-$349k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (5yr)
$96,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$301k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (5yr)
$49,932
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$38,595
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Fire Protection
BachCIP: 4302
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$68,683
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$14,108
Earnings (5yr)
$57,102
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$14,777
Earnings (5yr)
$45,986
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1506
Median Debt
$15,967
Earnings (5yr)
$63,884
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$14,971
Earnings (5yr)
$47,969
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$13,221
Earnings (2yr)
$35,276
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$94,122
Lifetime Value Added
+$285k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$9,895
Earnings (5yr)
$55,331
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$12,457
Earnings (5yr)
$56,290
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$42,918
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$120,317
Lifetime Value Added
+$480k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
BachCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$50,690
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,514
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,933
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,861
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$12,177
Earnings (5yr)
$54,833
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$34,322
Earnings (5yr)
$129,508
Lifetime Value Added
+$684k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$102,242
Lifetime Value Added
+$451k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$30,250
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$104,192
Lifetime Value Added
+$522k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
MastCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,782
Lifetime Value Added
+$206k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$29,525
Earnings (5yr)
$73,525
Lifetime Value Added
+$204k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
MastCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$132,333
Lifetime Value Added
+$708k
English Language and Literature, General
MastCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$32,050
Earnings (5yr)
$88,315
Lifetime Value Added
+$331k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,173
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$108,577
Lifetime Value Added
+$505k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$29,334
Earnings (2yr)
$61,516
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$142,334
Lifetime Value Added
+$792k
Security Science and Technology
MastCIP: 4304
Median Debt
$17,079
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$29,958
Earnings (5yr)
$88,174
Lifetime Value Added
+$330k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$94,553
Lifetime Value Added
+$385k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$40,301
Earnings (5yr)
$82,681
Lifetime Value Added
+$283k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.