Economics at La Sierra University

Based on comparable economics programs across California, La Sierra graduates might expect to earn around $51,000 in their first year—right at the state median—while carrying an estimated $21,500 in debt. That debt load sits above the California median of $16,805, though it remains manageable with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42, meaning less than half of first-year income would cover the total borrowed amount.

The challenge here is context: with 47% of students receiving Pell grants, La Sierra serves a population where even moderate debt matters, and the earnings picture—while solid by national standards—doesn't offer the premium that California's top programs deliver. Nearby UC Riverside and Cal Poly Pomona graduates in economics often earn more while borrowing less. The estimated figures suggest this program produces outcomes typical of mid-tier California economics degrees, but without actual graduate data, there's uncertainty about whether La Sierra specifically delivers that median performance.

For families considering this program, the math works on paper—the debt is repayable on these earnings. But given the school's 93% admission rate and the lack of reported outcomes data, you're banking on La Sierra matching what similar programs deliver rather than having proof it does. If your student has access to California's public universities with economics programs, those offer more transparent track records at comparable or lower cost.