Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology at California State University-Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton's ecology and evolution program substantially outperforms national expectations, with graduates earning $35,110 in their first year—nearly $6,000 above the typical program nationwide and ranking in the 88th percentile nationally. Within California, though, the picture is more moderate: this lands roughly in the middle of state offerings, trailing CSU San Marcos by about $6,000 but keeping pace with several peer institutions. The 39% earnings growth to nearly $49,000 by year four is promising, suggesting graduates find stable career paths rather than hitting immediate ceilings. With debt under $18,000—significantly below both national and state medians—the financial foundation is solid.

The small sample size here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, a few outliers could shift these numbers meaningfully. That caveat aside, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50 is manageable by any standard, and the trajectory looks encouraging for a field that typically doesn't command high starting salaries. Cal State Fullerton serves a largely in-state population (nearly half receive Pell grants), so the accessible debt load combined with above-average outcomes makes this a reasonable option for California residents interested in biological sciences, particularly compared to the hefty premiums often associated with UC programs that don't always deliver proportional returns in this field.