California

Average student debt in California — 15 colleges, and what their graduates earn

Every California university with published federal figures, ordered by how fast the debt clears. The typical graded US university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,089 against $22,500 of debt.

#UniversityGradeYou borrowMonthlyYou earnDebt clears in
1 Stanford University California A $12,000 $136 $124,080 0.1 yrs
2 Harvey Mudd College California A $25,000 $284 $138,687 0.3 yrs
3 Santa Clara University California A $19,162 $218 $109,183 0.3 yrs
4 University of California Davis California A $13,000 $148 $80,838 0.3 yrs
5 Pomona College California A $11,782 $134 $77,779 0.3 yrs
6 University of Southern California California A $18,000 $205 $92,498 0.3 yrs
7 Southern California University of Health Sciences California A $11,400 $130 $70,649 0.4 yrs
8 Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey California A $13,857 $158 $76,310 0.4 yrs
9 University of San Francisco California A $23,000 $262 $89,812 0.5 yrs
10 University of San Diego California A $22,940 $261 $86,522 0.5 yrs
11 Dominican University of California California B $27,000 $307 $84,713 0.6 yrs
12 Golden Gate University California B $29,875 $340 $87,434 0.6 yrs
13 Chapman University California B $20,500 $233 $70,070 0.7 yrs
14 SOKA University of America California C $15,650 $178 $55,017 1 yrs
15 Sierra College California D $10,500 $119 $45,294 1.8 yrs

In-state tuition is the lever that moves this most

The debt column is shaped far more by residency and institutional aid than by anything else. If you are applying from another state or another country, the figures here understate what you would borrow — check the university's own net price for your situation.

Read the salary next to the debt, never alone

Two universities in this state with identical graduate salaries can be two grades apart, because one leaves students owing twice as much. The payback column is the one that combines both.

Questions

Which university in California pays back fastest?
Stanford University — $124,080 median earnings against $12,000 of debt, clearing in about 0.1 years.
How much do US students typically borrow?
Across the 795 universities we grade, median debt at graduation is $22,500 — about $256 a month on the standard ten-year federal plan.
Can scholarships change these numbers?
Directly. Every award comes off the borrowing before you ever repay it, which shortens the payback on each university page. Each page lists the scholarships we hold for that institution.
All payback rankings Fastest payback Lowest debt Highest earnings Scholarships that cut the debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject at each institution. Information only, not financial advice.