Best Colleges in California by Salary Potential
California has more colleges and universities than any other state. Find out which schools are the state’s best four-year colleges by earning potential.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Harvey Mudd College | School Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$115,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$185,900 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:74% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Stanford University | School Type:Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$102,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$181,200 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:48% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Santa Clara University | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$91,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$179,500 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:4 | School Name:_50px.png) California Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$111,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$175,400 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:98% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: Claremont McKenna College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$89,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$175,000 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: University of California-Berkeley | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$90,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$170,100 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:44% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: California State University Maritime Academy | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$85,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$161,900 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:8 | School Name:_50px.png) University of California-San Diego | School Type:Engineering, Research University, State School | Early Career Pay:$82,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$156,000 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:51% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: Samuel Merritt University | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$114,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$155,700 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:10 | School Name:_50px.png) University of Southern California | School Type:Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$83,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$154,800 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: - San Luis Obispo_50px.png) California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$83,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$153,100 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:35% |
| Rank:12 | School Name:_50px.png) University of California-Santa Barbara | School Type:Party School, Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$75,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$152,300 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:33% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:_50px.jpg) University of California-Irvine | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$76,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$152,200 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:38% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Loyola Marymount University | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$74,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$150,200 | % High Meaning:40% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:15 | School Name:_50px.jpg) University of California-Los Angeles | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$78,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$149,200 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:34% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Saint Mary's College of California | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$74,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$148,100 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:17 | School Name:_50px.jpg) University of California-Davis | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$79,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$147,900 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:36% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Pomona College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$85,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$143,800 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:39% |
| Rank:19 | School Name:_50px.jpg) University of San Diego | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$75,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$143,700 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: Occidental College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$71,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$141,700 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:24% |
| Rank:21 | School Name:_50px.jpg) San Jose State University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$82,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$141,400 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:22 | School Name:Menlo College | School Type:Business, Private School | Early Career Pay:$78,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$138,100 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:23 | School Name:_50px.png) University of San Francisco | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$76,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$138,000 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: Westmont College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$68,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$137,900 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:25 | School Name: California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$73,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$137,200 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:29% |
