Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in California
Key facts
- #1 Samuel Merritt University, CA: $143k
- #2 Harvey Mudd College, CA: $139k
- #3 California Institute of Technology, CA: $129k
- 100 colleges ranked across California
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $53k across the typical college in this list.
- 1Samuel Merritt University CA$143k
- 2Harvey Mudd College CA$139k
- 3California Institute of Technology CA$129k
- 4Stanford University CA$124k
- 5Santa Clara University CA$109k
- 6Claremont McKenna College CA$105k
- 7West Coast University-Orange County CA$103k
- 8West Coast University-Los Angeles CA$103k
- 9West Coast University-Ontario CA$103k
- 10California State University Maritime Academy CA$95k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Samuel Merritt University leads on $143k, and #10 California State University Maritime Academy is at $95k.
- Samuel Merritt University reaches #1 on a sample of 718 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- Stanford University is the largest market in the top ten, with 7,554 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
Samuel Merritt University CA
$143k
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- Not available
- Private nonprofit
- 718 students
Based on 718 students enrolled.
Samuel Merritt University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 2
Harvey Mudd College CA
$139k
- Completion rate
- 92%
- Net price a year
- $35,924
- Private nonprofit
- 921 students
Based on 921 students enrolled.
- 3
California Institute of Technology CA
$129k
- Completion rate
- 94%
- Net price a year
- $16,075
- Private nonprofit
- 987 students
Based on 987 students enrolled.
California Institute of Technology: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 4
Stanford University CA
$124k
- Completion rate
- 92%
- Net price a year
- $13,807
- Private nonprofit
- 7,554 students
Based on 7,554 students enrolled.
- 5
Santa Clara University CA
$109k
- Completion rate
- 88%
- Net price a year
- $50,062
- Private nonprofit
- 6,552 students
Based on 6,552 students enrolled.
- 6
Claremont McKenna College CA
$105k
- Completion rate
- 91%
- Net price a year
- $28,849
- Private nonprofit
- 1,388 students
Based on 1,388 students enrolled.
Claremont McKenna College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 7
West Coast University-Orange County CA
$103k
- Completion rate
- 60%
- Net price a year
- $32,879
- Private for-profit
- 3,192 students
Based on 3,192 students enrolled.
West Coast University-Orange County: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 8
West Coast University-Los Angeles CA
$103k
- Completion rate
- 31%
- Net price a year
- $53,020
- Private for-profit
- 2,673 students
Based on 2,673 students enrolled.
West Coast University-Los Angeles: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 9
West Coast University-Ontario CA
$103k
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Net price a year
- $49,590
- Private for-profit
- 2,671 students
Based on 2,671 students enrolled.
West Coast University-Ontario: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 10
- Completion rate
- 60%
- Net price a year
- $20,555
- Public
- 804 students
Based on 804 students enrolled.
California State University Maritime Academy: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 11
- Completion rate
- 92%
- Net price a year
- $32,740
- Private nonprofit
- 20,443 students
Based on 20,443 students enrolled.
University of Southern California: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 12
- Completion rate
- 93%
- Net price a year
- $13,481
- Public
- 33,068 students
Based on 33,068 students enrolled.
University of California-Berkeley: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 13
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- $36,559
- Private for-profit
- 751 students
Based on 751 students enrolled.
Chamberlain University-California: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 14
- Completion rate
- 86%
- Net price a year
- $16,665
- Public
- 21,996 students
Based on 21,996 students enrolled.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 15
Loma Linda University CA
$90k
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- Not available
- Private nonprofit
- 909 students
Based on 909 students enrolled.
- 16
University of San Francisco CA
$90k
- Completion rate
- 70%
- Net price a year
- $41,431
- Private nonprofit
- 5,287 students
Based on 5,287 students enrolled.
University of San Francisco: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 17
University of San Diego CA
$87k
- Completion rate
- 84%
- Net price a year
- $30,365
- Private nonprofit
- 5,671 students
Based on 5,671 students enrolled.
- 18
- Completion rate
- 86%
- Net price a year
- $12,470
- Public
- 34,948 students
Based on 34,948 students enrolled.
University of California-San Diego: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 19
- Completion rate
- 78%
- Net price a year
- $35,333
- Private nonprofit
- 1,114 students
Based on 1,114 students enrolled.
Dominican University of California: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 20
Pepperdine University CA
$83k
- Completion rate
- 83%
- Net price a year
- $58,098
- Private nonprofit
- 3,553 students
Based on 3,553 students enrolled.
- 21
- Completion rate
- 93%
- Net price a year
- $12,548
- Public
- 33,475 students
Based on 33,475 students enrolled.
University of California-Los Angeles: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 22
University of California-Davis CA
$81k
- Completion rate
- 86%
- Net price a year
- $14,741
- Public
- 32,253 students
Based on 32,253 students enrolled.
University of California-Davis: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 23
University of California-Irvine CA
$81k
- Completion rate
- 87%
- Net price a year
- $14,251
- Public
- 30,197 students
Based on 30,197 students enrolled.
University of California-Irvine: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 24
Unitek College CA
$80k
- Completion rate
- 73%
- Net price a year
- $25,179
- Private for-profit
- 4,972 students
Based on 4,972 students enrolled.
- 25
San Jose State University CA
$79k
- Completion rate
- 69%
- Net price a year
- $13,760
- Public
- 27,601 students
Based on 27,601 students enrolled.
San Jose State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
Full ranking
All 100 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in california?
- Samuel Merritt University leads California among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $143k ten years after enrolling, against $53k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 100 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 100 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Best cities for junior jobs in California
- Best cities for pay after cost of living in California
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in California,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-california
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-california">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in California (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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