Finance and Financial Management Services at California State University-Long Beach

Cal State Long Beach's finance program underperforms its California peers significantly—landing at just the 25th percentile statewide with early-career earnings of $48,961. That's $11,000 below the state median for finance programs and roughly $20,000 less than what graduates from Santa Clara or Loyola Marymount command. For context, California nursing programs routinely place stronger, which raises questions about whether this particular finance program has sufficient employer connections or placement strength in LA's competitive market.

The silver lining is debt: at $15,000, it's essentially the state average and far below the $23,332 national norm. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31, graduates can realistically manage repayment even with below-market starting salaries. The 21% earnings bump to $59,383 by year four suggests the degree does provide some career mobility, though that still trails the state median. Nearly half the student body receives Pell grants, so affordability matters here—and on that measure, the program delivers.

The calculation for parents: If your child is paying in-state tuition and wants to stay in California, the low debt makes this workable despite the earnings lag. But if they have credentials for UC or stronger CSU business programs, the earnings gap compounds significantly over a career. This isn't a bad choice—it's just not a competitive one in California's finance job market.