U.S. median for this major: $79,489.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 29% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,907.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $39,665. College Scorecard.
Economics at California colleges
Every California college we cover that reports Economics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claremont McKenna College | $146,524 | $12,000 | $28,849 | 91% |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $135,050 | $13,000 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 3 | Santa Clara University | $121,307 | $19,500 | $50,062 | 88% |
| 4 | Stanford University | $112,700 | $12,500 | $13,807 | 92% |
| 5 | Pepperdine University | $104,943 | $24,250 | $58,098 | 83% |
| 6 | Occidental College | $103,164 | $25,590 | $38,263 | 81% |
| 7 | Northeastern University Oakland | $101,423 | $24,500 | $25,181 | — |
| 8 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $98,927 | $18,500 | $16,665 | 86% |
| 9 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $98,178 | $13,516 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 10 | Pomona College | $96,702 | — | $19,285 | 93% |
| 11 | University of California-Los Angeles | $95,440 | $15,000 | $12,548 | 93% |
| 12 | University of Southern California | $94,435 | $14,000 | $32,740 | 92% |
| 13 | University of San Francisco | $93,712 | $21,500 | $41,431 | 70% |
| 14 | Loyola Marymount University | $88,682 | $21,500 | $48,381 | 79% |
| 15 | University of California-San Diego | $87,307 | $15,000 | $12,470 | 86% |
| 16 | University of California-Irvine | $83,937 | $15,499 | $14,251 | 87% |
| 17 | Sonoma State University | $83,668 | $20,125 | $12,885 | 58% |
| 18 | California State University-San Marcos | $83,339 | $17,500 | $10,229 | 55% |
| 19 | University of California-Davis | $83,248 | $13,000 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 20 | San Francisco State University | $82,697 | $13,750 | $12,278 | 50% |
| 21 | University of the Pacific | $79,510 | — | $25,447 | 69% |
| 22 | California State University-Bakersfield | $78,029 | — | $5,652 | 50% |
| 23 | University of California-Santa Cruz | $76,382 | $18,017 | $17,890 | 75% |
| 24 | San Diego State University | $74,123 | $15,250 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 25 | California State University-Northridge | $72,890 | $13,000 | $7,021 | 57% |
| 26 | California State University-Channel Islands | $71,662 | — | $9,849 | 51% |
| 27 | California State University-Fullerton | $71,595 | $12,000 | $6,555 | 70% |
| 28 | California State University-Long Beach | $71,220 | $18,375 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 29 | California State University-Sacramento | $70,290 | $17,625 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 30 | California State University-Stanislaus | $69,967 | — | $6,067 | 53% |
| 31 | University of California-Merced | $67,692 | $19,303 | $11,983 | 69% |
| 32 | California State University-Chico | $67,675 | $19,150 | $14,480 | 63% |
| 33 | California State University-East Bay | $67,155 | — | $9,320 | 48% |
| 34 | California State University-Fresno | $66,749 | $16,110 | $7,000 | 57% |
| 35 | University of California-Riverside | $66,682 | $18,500 | $14,304 | 76% |
| 36 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | $61,175 | — | $13,171 | 49% |
| 37 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $61,084 | $11,858 | $11,531 | 68% |
| 38 | California State University-Los Angeles | $54,998 | $11,000 | $3,967 | 53% |
| 39 | California State University-San Bernardino | $54,060 | $17,500 | $4,564 | 55% |
16 more California colleges offer Economics but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Economics graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Data Scientists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +34.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at University of California-Merced, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of California-Merced
- Acceptance rate: 91% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 69% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $64,368
- Full cost breakdown · all 28 majors · overview
Related majors at University of California-Merced
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Business Administration$68,277
University of California-Merced Economics questions
How much do University of California-Merced Economics graduates earn?
Economics graduates of University of California-Merced earn a median $67,692 four years after graduating and $51,212 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.
How much debt do University of California-Merced Economics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of University of California-Merced is $19,303, about 29% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.
Where does University of California-Merced rank for Economics in California?
Of 39 California colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, University of California-Merced ranks 31st. The highest is Claremont McKenna College at $146,524.
What jobs do Economics graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $99,600 in the Merced, CA area and $72,040 nationally. Others include market research analysts and marketing specialists and data scientists.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of California-Merced Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-merced/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).