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University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA 17,812 Undergrads 80.3% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$38,649
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,607
After Aid
Median Earnings
$68,396
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$16,607
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$68,396
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate80.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients31.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
62.5%
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
+$581k
+$185k
+$97k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$521k
+$125k
+$37k
Full Cost$39k/yr
+$442k
+$46k
-$42k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
45
62%
Full Cost$39k/yr
Never
-30%
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 Return37%
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-48%
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
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$16,035
Earnings (5yr)
$47,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$18,959
Earnings (5yr)
$75,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$70,452
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$98,115
Lifetime Value Added
+$270k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
$16,519
Earnings (5yr)
$89,932
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences
BachCIP: 2604
Median Debt
$18,534
Earnings (5yr)
$79,429
Lifetime Value Added
+$130k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Cognitive Science
BachCIP: 3025
Median Debt
$18,981
Earnings (5yr)
$76,561
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Community Organization and Advocacy
BachCIP: 4402
Median Debt
$15,862
Earnings (5yr)
$52,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$23,434
Earnings (5yr)
$137,877
Lifetime Value Added
+$565k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$16,499
Earnings (5yr)
$120,928
Lifetime Value Added
+$440k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
BachCIP: 1110
Median Debt
$20,020
Earnings (5yr)
$108,700
Lifetime Value Added
+$349k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$35,394
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
$17,589
Earnings (5yr)
$40,513
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$18,017
Earnings (5yr)
$88,583
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$16,796
Earnings (5yr)
$124,740
Lifetime Value Added
+$468k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,551
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$15,692
Earnings (5yr)
$45,511
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$35,979
Lifetime Value Added
-$216k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$20,833
Earnings (5yr)
$72,711
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,100
Earnings (5yr)
$48,101
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$16,740
Earnings (5yr)
$41,829
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,050
Earnings (5yr)
$76,366
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Lifetime Value Added
-$285k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$18,487
Earnings (5yr)
$60,229
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$63,496
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate)
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$17,883
Earnings (5yr)
$62,817
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,265
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,102
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$16,703
Earnings (5yr)
$63,776
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,902
Earnings (5yr)
$59,093
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$15,124
Earnings (5yr)
$51,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$15,679
Earnings (5yr)
$56,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Master's Degrees
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
MastCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,217
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Economics
MastCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$87,173
Lifetime Value Added
+$299k
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
MastCIP: 1306
Median Debt
$30,726
Earnings (5yr)
$66,992
Lifetime Value Added
+$125k
Fine and Studio Arts
MastCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,593
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
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.