Information Science/Studies at California State University-Northridge

California's Information Science programs span a vast range—from UC Riverside grads earning over $76,000 to CSU Fullerton's $49,897—which makes the estimated $58,651 figure for this program particularly hard to interpret. That estimate comes from national medians across 129 programs, not from Northridge's actual graduate outcomes, so anxious parents should recognize they're looking at what peer programs typically produce rather than evidence of what this specific degree delivers. The estimated $25,000 debt load sits near national norms but above the state median of roughly $20,000, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 that looks manageable on paper.

The challenge is that California's robust tech sector creates wildly different outcomes depending on program quality, student preparation, and networking opportunities. With a 93% admission rate and 56% of students on Pell grants, Northridge serves a different population than UC campuses, which may explain why comparable CSU programs show lower earnings than UC alternatives. Information Science sits at the intersection of IT, data analysis, and systems management—fields where employer reputation and technical depth matter enormously.

Without actual graduate data, you're essentially betting that Northridge performs near the national average rather than clustering with lower-earning CSU programs. If your student has alternatives with reported outcomes, prioritize those. Otherwise, focus on what skills they'll actually acquire, what companies recruit on campus, and whether the curriculum aligns with current industry demands in Southern California's competitive tech market.