University of California-Santa Barbara Computer Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Computer Engineering graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $144,703 four years after graduating ($91,387 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $14,410. That is $37,915 above the U.S. median for Computer Engineering graduates ($106,788 across 180 colleges), and ranks 7th of 23 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$144,703

U.S. median for this major: $106,788.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$91,387

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$14,410

About 10% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,500.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,109 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $41,573. College Scorecard.

Computer Engineering at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Computer Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of California-Los Angeles$228,705$14,103$12,54893%
2University of Southern California$166,369$9,500$32,74092%
3Santa Clara University$163,765$24,666$50,06288%
4University of California-San Diego$149,139$18,497$12,47086%
5California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$148,950$20,556$16,66586%
6University of California-Davis$145,422$12,804$14,74186%
7University of California-Santa Barbara$144,703$14,410$16,10983%
8University of California-Irvine$132,357$19,233$14,25187%
9University of California-Santa Cruz$124,641$23,392$17,89075%
10San Diego State University$116,842$16,248$15,36476%
11University of California-Riverside$107,193$25,083$14,30476%
12California State University-Sacramento$104,394$17,500$9,33856%
13California State University-Fresno$103,896$30,486$7,00057%
14University of California-Merced$102,575$19,086$11,98369%
15California State University-Fullerton$101,408$18,500$6,55570%
16California State University-Northridge$101,021$19,548$7,02157%
17California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$100,673$20,250$11,53168%
18California State University-Long Beach$98,967$15,759$10,44069%
19California State University-Chico$97,345—$14,48063%
20California Baptist University$96,506$27,000$26,28562%
21San Francisco State University$94,129$20,148$12,27850%
22California State University-Bakersfield$93,797—$5,65250%
23California State University-San Bernardino$92,492$18,096$4,56455%

7 more California colleges offer Computer Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Computer Engineering graduates

Computer hardware engineer

Santa Maria area$148,440
California$185,180
U.S.$161,740

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Software Developers

Santa Maria area$158,290
California$174,410
U.S.$135,980

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Santa Maria area$207,900
California$210,280
U.S.$171,270

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% 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-Santa Barbara, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About University of California-Santa Barbara

Related majors at University of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Santa Barbara Computer Engineering questions

How much do University of California-Santa Barbara Computer Engineering graduates earn?

Computer Engineering graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $144,703 four years after graduating and $91,387 one year after. The U.S. median for Computer Engineering graduates across 180 colleges is $106,788.

How much debt do University of California-Santa Barbara Computer Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Computer Engineering graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara is $14,410, about 10% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,500.

Where does University of California-Santa Barbara rank for Computer Engineering in California?

Of 23 California colleges reporting Computer Engineering graduate earnings, University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 7th. The highest is University of California-Los Angeles at $228,705.

What jobs do Computer Engineering graduates get?

A common career is computer hardware engineer, with a median wage of $148,440 in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA area and $161,740 nationally. Others include software developers and architectural and engineering managers.

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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
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Cite this: “University of California-Santa Barbara Computer Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/computer-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).