Computer and Information Sciences at California State University-Dominguez Hills

CSU Dominguez Hills graduates earn about $50,000 right after graduation and then... stay there. Four years out, median earnings are essentially unchanged, which is unusual for computer science—a field where most graduates see substantial salary growth as they gain experience. This stagnation means earnings fall well short of California's median for CS graduates ($53,880) and far below the national benchmark ($61,322). Within California's CS programs, this lands in the 40th percentile—below average but not bottom-tier.

The positives here are real: debt levels are modest at $18,750, and that 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates can realistically manage their loans. With a 91% admission rate and 61% of students on Pell grants, CSU Dominguez Hills serves many first-generation and lower-income students who might not have access to Berkeley or UCLA (where CS grads earn $88,000-$136,000). For families where college access matters more than maximizing earnings, this represents a viable pathway into tech.

The challenge is that $50,000 doesn't go far in Southern California's expensive job market, and the lack of earnings growth suggests graduates may be stuck in entry-level positions or struggling to advance. If your child has options at other CSU campuses or UC schools, compare those outcomes carefully. But if this is the accessible option that gets them a degree and into the workforce with manageable debt, it's a foundation they can build on—even if the building happens more slowly than at higher-ranked programs.