Colleges Whose Graduates Earn the Most in California
Ranked by median earnings 10 years after entry (100 colleges with at least 200 undergraduates). Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
| # | College | Median earnings 10 years after entry | Net price | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Merritt University Oakland, CA · Private nonprofit | $143,238 | — | $143,238 |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | $138,687 | $35,924 | $138,687 |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit | $128,566 | $16,075 | $128,566 |
| 4 | Stanford University Stanford, CA · Private nonprofit | $124,080 | $13,807 | $124,080 |
| 5 | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health Los Angeles, CA · Public | $115,318 | — | $115,318 |
| 6 | Gnomon North Hollywood, CA · Private for-profit | $114,785 | $51,949 | $114,785 |
| 7 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit | $109,183 | $50,062 | $109,183 |
| 8 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | $104,736 | $28,849 | $104,736 |
| 9 | West Coast University-Ontario Ontario, CA · Private for-profit | $102,672 | $49,590 | $102,672 |
| 10 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County Anaheim, CA · Private for-profit | $102,672 | $32,879 | $102,672 |
| 11 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy Vallejo, CA · Public | $94,784 | $20,555 | $94,784 |
| 12 | American University of Health Sciences Signal Hill, CA · Private for-profit | $93,610 | — | $93,610 |
| 13 | Northeastern University Oakland Oakland, CA · Private nonprofit | $92,538 | $25,181 | $92,538 |
| 14 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $92,498 | $32,740 | $92,498 |
| 15 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public | $92,446 | $13,481 | $92,446 |
| 16 | Chamberlain University-California Rancho Cordova, CA · Private for-profit | $92,405 | $36,559 | $92,405 |
| 17 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA · Public | $90,768 | $16,665 | $90,768 |
| 18 | Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA · Private nonprofit | $89,816 | — | $89,816 |
| 19 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit | $89,812 | $41,431 | $89,812 |
| 20 | Unitek College Hayward, CA · Private for-profit | $87,877 | $19,130 | $87,877 |
| 21 | Golden Gate University San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit | $87,434 | — | $87,434 |
| 22 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit | $86,522 | $30,365 | $86,522 |
| 23 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public | $84,943 | $12,470 | $84,943 |
| 24 | Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA · Private nonprofit | $84,713 | $35,333 | $84,713 |
| 25 | Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $83,438 | $35,558 | $83,438 |
| 26 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA · Private nonprofit | $82,939 | $58,098 | $82,939 |
| 27 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public | $82,511 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 28 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA · Public | $80,838 | $14,741 | $80,838 |
| 29 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public | $80,735 | $14,251 | $80,735 |
| 30 | Unitek College Fremont, CA · Private for-profit | $79,550 | $25,179 | $79,550 |
| 31 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA · Public | $78,988 | $13,760 | $78,988 |
| 32 | Saint Mary's College of California Moraga, CA · Private nonprofit | $78,812 | $30,378 | $78,812 |
| 33 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA · Private nonprofit | $78,445 | $25,447 | $78,445 |
| 34 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $78,349 | $48,381 | $78,349 |
| 35 | Pomona College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | $77,779 | $19,285 | $77,779 |
| 36 | Scripps College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | $77,539 | $36,294 | $77,539 |
| 37 | Menlo College Atherton, CA · Private nonprofit | $76,419 | $31,100 | $76,419 |
| 38 | Occidental College Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $75,951 | $38,263 | $75,951 |
| 39 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA · Public | $74,915 | $16,109 | $74,915 |
| 40 | University of Redlands Redlands, CA · Private nonprofit | $72,690 | $30,031 | $72,690 |
| 41 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $72,379 | $21,413 | $72,379 |
| 42 | Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit | $71,958 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| 43 | Southern California Institute of Architecture Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $71,909 | $43,923 | $71,909 |
| 44 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA · Public | $71,902 | $11,531 | $71,902 |
| 45 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA · Public | $71,401 | $9,320 | $71,401 |
| 46 | Pacific Union College Angwin, CA · Private nonprofit | $70,484 | $41,008 | $70,484 |
| 47 | Chapman University Orange, CA · Private nonprofit | $70,070 | $46,555 | $70,070 |
| 48 | Pacific College Costa Mesa, CA · Private for-profit | $70,064 | $29,363 | $70,064 |
| 49 | Pitzer College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | $69,512 | $34,191 | $69,512 |
| 50 | Brownson Technical School Anaheim, CA · Private for-profit | $68,767 | $30,513 | $68,767 |
| 51 | California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA · Private nonprofit | $68,712 | $30,109 | $68,712 |
| 52 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA · Public | $68,396 | $17,890 | $68,396 |
| 53 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA · Public | $68,077 | $12,278 | $68,077 |
| 54 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA · Public | $67,699 | $14,304 | $67,699 |
| 55 | National University San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit | $67,548 | $22,878 | $67,548 |
| 56 | Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts San Jose, CA · Private for-profit | $66,844 | $32,427 | $66,844 |
| 57 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA · Private nonprofit | $66,677 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| 58 | Alliant International University-San Diego San Diego, CA · Private for-profit | $66,666 | — | $66,666 |
| 59 | Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA · Public | $65,986 | $12,885 | $65,986 |
| 60 | University of Massachusetts Global Aliso Viejo, CA · Public | $65,703 | $32,654 | $65,703 |
| 61 | Woodbury University Burbank, CA · Private nonprofit | $65,668 | $33,692 | $65,668 |
| 62 | University of La Verne La Verne, CA · Private nonprofit | $65,464 | $20,161 | $65,464 |
| 63 | Concordia University-Irvine Irvine, CA · Private nonprofit | $65,083 | $28,115 | $65,083 |
| 64 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA · Public | $64,909 | $15,364 | $64,909 |
| 65 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA · Public | $64,876 | $9,338 | $64,876 |
| 66 | Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofit | $64,778 | $29,053 | $64,778 |
| 67 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Public | $64,403 | $10,440 | $64,403 |
| 68 | University of California-Merced Merced, CA · Public | $64,368 | $11,983 | $64,368 |
| 69 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA · Public | $64,172 | $14,480 | $64,172 |
| 70 | Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit | $63,998 | $38,729 | $63,998 |
| 71 | California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA · Public | $63,188 | $6,067 | $63,188 |
| 72 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA · Public | $62,951 | $6,555 | $62,951 |
| 73 | California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA · Public | $62,908 | $10,229 | $62,908 |
| 74 | California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA · Public | $62,152 | $9,849 | $62,152 |
| 75 | Stanbridge University Irvine, CA · Private for-profit | $62,144 | $45,372 | $62,144 |
| 76 | La Sierra University Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit | $61,824 | $45,566 | $61,824 |
| 77 | Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology Riverside, CA · Private for-profit | $61,575 | $32,601 | $61,575 |
| 78 | Spartan College of Aeronautics & Technology Inglewood, CA · Private for-profit | $61,575 | $33,320 | $61,575 |
| 79 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit | $61,504 | $26,285 | $61,504 |
| 80 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA · Public | $61,244 | $7,000 | $61,244 |
| 81 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA · Public | $59,977 | $4,564 | $59,977 |
| 82 | Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, CA · Private nonprofit | $59,541 | $21,241 | $59,541 |
| 83 | Whittier College Whittier, CA · Private nonprofit | $59,492 | $25,757 | $59,492 |
| 84 | California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA · Public | $59,247 | $13,663 | $59,247 |
| 85 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public | $59,211 | $3,967 | $59,211 |
| 86 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA · Public | $59,115 | $7,021 | $59,115 |
| 87 | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA · Public | $59,009 | $5,652 | $59,009 |
| 88 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA · Private nonprofit | $58,896 | $13,630 | $58,896 |
| 89 | Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $58,152 | $51,248 | $58,152 |
| 90 | Smith Chason College Los Angeles, CA · Private for-profit | $58,004 | $34,367 | $58,004 |
| 91 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA · Public | $57,162 | $8,615 | $57,162 |
| 92 | The Master's University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA · Private nonprofit | $57,106 | $32,647 | $57,106 |
| 93 | Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA · Public | $57,072 | $7,653 | $57,072 |
| 94 | John Paul the Great Catholic University Escondido, CA · Private nonprofit | $56,930 | $34,666 | $56,930 |
| 95 | The Chicago School at Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | $56,899 | — | $56,899 |
| 96 | Biola University La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofit | $56,778 | $31,495 | $56,778 |
| 97 | De Anza College Cupertino, CA · Public | $56,596 | $6,642 | $56,596 |
| 98 | William Jessup University Rocklin, CA · Private nonprofit | $56,257 | $28,062 | $56,257 |
| 99 | Skyline College San Bruno, CA · Public | $55,702 | $1,738 | $55,702 |
| 100 | Thomas Aquinas College Santa Paula, CA · Private nonprofit | $55,619 | $26,196 | $55,619 |