Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods at California State University-Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton's Management Sciences program graduates carry significantly less debt than their peers—$12,375 versus a California median of $15,000—but the earnings don't quite match the state average. First-year graduates earn $49,830, landing just below the California median of $55,000 and well behind top state programs like UC Santa Barbara ($66,099) and UC San Diego ($61,000). That 40th percentile ranking among California programs suggests this isn't the strongest quantitative management pathway in the state, though it's far from the weakest.

The real story here is value preservation through low debt. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25, graduates can pay off their loans in under three months of gross income—among the best ratios you'll find for this major nationally. Nearly half the student body receives Pell grants, and the school clearly prioritizes keeping debt manageable even if it can't compete with the UC system on immediate earnings. For families choosing between Cal State Fullerton and pricier private alternatives offering similar earnings, the math favors Fullerton decisively.

The tradeoff is straightforward: you're looking at roughly $5,000-15,000 less in first-year earnings compared to top California programs, but you're also avoiding thousands in additional debt. For students who plan to leverage this quantitative foundation into graduate school or who value financial flexibility immediately after graduation, that's a reasonable exchange. Just understand you're not getting the earnings ceiling that UC programs deliver in this field.