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California State University-Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA 6,819 Undergrads 73.7% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$26,987
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,663
After Aid
Median Earnings
$62,324
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$13,663
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$62,324
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate73.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time89.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
97.4%
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
+$554k
+$87k
+$70k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$505k
+$38k
+$21k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$457k
-$10k
-$27k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
50
42%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-28%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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 Return46%
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-39%
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
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,654
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,558
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,298
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$16,022
Earnings (4yr)
$101,787
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$323k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$13,902
Earnings (4yr)
$48,639
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1603
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$14,895
Earnings (4yr)
$34,006
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,856
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,118
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Human Services, General
BachCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$13,750
Earnings (4yr)
$56,719
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$14,093
Earnings (4yr)
$61,480
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$13,322
Earnings (4yr)
$59,017
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Marine Sciences
BachCIP: 3032
Median Debt
$17,149
Earnings (4yr)
$59,782
Natl Median: $52,667
Lifetime Value Added
+$408
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,943
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (4yr)
$40,077
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,598
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,074
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$15,250
Earnings (4yr)
$39,954
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$134,489
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$570k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,824
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,200
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$12,795
Earnings (4yr)
$47,736
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$41,069
Earnings (4yr)
$115,179
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$348k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (4yr)
$80,296
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Educational/Instructional Media Design
MastCIP: 1305
Median Debt
$14,540
Earnings (4yr)
$104,220
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
MastCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,905
Natl Median: $72,563
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Marine Sciences
MastCIP: 3032
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,840
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
MastCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$95,950
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Other Programs
Education, General
DegCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,645
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Special Education and Teaching
DegCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,481
Natl Median: $70,406
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
DegCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,241
Natl Median: $57,802
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), 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 for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.