Economics at California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento State's economics program sits squarely in the middle tier, landing at the 40th percentile both nationally and within California. With first-year earnings of $49,312, graduates earn slightly below the state median of $51,212—meaningful when you consider that many comparable California programs charge similar tuition. The 19% earnings growth to $58,522 by year four is solid but doesn't change the fundamental positioning: this program trails schools like UC Berkeley and Santa Clara by $20,000-25,000 annually.

The strength here is affordability. At $17,625 in median debt—about $5,000 less than the national average—graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.36, making loan repayment manageable from day one. For families where keeping debt low is the top priority, particularly given Sacramento State's 94% admission rate and nearly half the student body on Pell grants, this represents accessible economics education without crushing financial burden.

The tradeoff is straightforward: you're trading lower earnings potential for lower debt and easier admission. If your child is comparing this to elite California programs, understand they'll likely earn 40-60% less than Berkeley or Stanford grads. But if the alternative is private debt or out-of-state tuition at a similarly ranked program, Sacramento State delivers reasonable economics training at a price that won't derail their twenties.