University of California-Merced

Merced, California · Public

All 16 assessed programs leave graduates out-earning a typical California high-school graduate (about $36,976/yr). Another 55 could not be assessed.

What would this cost you?

My family earns and I expect to take

Family income	Net price per year
Under $30k	$7,945
$30k to $48k	$8,465
$48k to $75k	$11,557
$75k to $110k	$14,828
$110k and up	$28,734
All families (average)	$11,983

Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, by family income (College Scorecard). It reflects students who received federal aid.

Program earnings vs a high-school graduate

16 of 71 programs could be assessed 23% have an earnings verdict

Programs by earnings versus a typical California high-school graduate.
Program	Degree	Median earnings	vs a high-school grad	Verdict	Median debt	Years to repay	Recent completers
Biology	Bachelor's Degree	$59,249	+$22,273	clears the bar	$18,000	0.8 yrs	316
Computer Engineering	Bachelor's Degree	$102,575	+$65,599	clears the bar	$19,003	0.3 yrs	219
Business Administration	Bachelor's Degree	$68,277	+$31,301	clears the bar	$16,000	0.5 yrs	188
Mechanical Engineering	Bachelor's Degree	$95,040	+$58,064	clears the bar	$18,498	0.3 yrs	184
Public Health	Bachelor's Degree	$56,393	+$19,417	clears the bar	$15,250	0.8 yrs	141
Psychology	Bachelor's Degree	$53,143	+$16,167	clears the bar	$16,500	1.0 yrs	134
Political Science	Bachelor's Degree	$62,815	+$25,839	clears the bar	$17,132	0.7 yrs	116
Sociology	Bachelor's Degree	$50,468	+$13,492	clears the bar	$17,500	1.3 yrs	112
Cognitive Science	Bachelor's Degree	$51,147	+$14,171	clears the bar	$20,105	1.4 yrs	72
Chemistry	Bachelor's Degree	$56,888	+$19,912	clears the bar	$14,500	0.7 yrs	40
Biomedical Engineering	Bachelor's Degree	$88,795	+$51,819	clears the bar	$20,816	0.4 yrs	37
Applied Mathematics	Bachelor's Degree	$82,156	+$45,180	clears the bar	$15,500	0.3 yrs	36
English	Bachelor's Degree	$58,623	+$21,647	clears the bar	$24,000	1.1 yrs	31
Economics	Bachelor's Degree	$67,692	+$30,716	clears the bar	$19,303	0.6 yrs	24
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering	Bachelor's Degree	$83,007	+$46,031	clears the bar	$20,619	0.4 yrs	22
History	Bachelor's Degree	$44,144	+$7,168	clears the bar	$15,455	2.2 yrs	13
Research Psychology	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	187
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	23
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	18
Physics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	17
Anthropology	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	17
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	16
Management Science	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	13
Mechanical Engineering	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
Geology and Earth Science	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
Visual and Performing Arts, General	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
Computer Engineering	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Cognitive Science	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Physics	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Philosophy	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	8
Liberal Arts and General Studies	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Chemistry	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Public Health	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Natural Resources and Conservation	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Physics	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Psychology	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Liberal Arts and General Studies	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	5
Materials Engineering	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Mechanical Engineering	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Research Psychology	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Sociology	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Public Health	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Materials Engineering	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Chemistry	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Political Science	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Sociology	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Natural Resources and Conservation	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Materials Engineering	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Applied Mathematics	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Psychology	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Research Psychology	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Computer Engineering	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Applied Mathematics	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Cognitive Science	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Economics	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Biomedical Engineering	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Biomedical Engineering	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Behavioral Sciences	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Behavioral Sciences	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Physical Sciences, Other	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Physical Sciences, Other	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Social Sciences	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Political Science	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Management Science	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
History	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
History	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians measured four years after completion, compared with the state high-school-graduate benchmark ($36,976/yr). Debt is federal loans only. Suppressed values are shown as insufficient data, never imputed. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise.