Mathematics at Sonoma State University

Sonoma State's mathematics program sits in an interesting position: while it underperforms national averages by about $10,000 in first-year earnings, it actually exceeds California's median for math programs. Given that many students attend this accessible state school (95% admission rate) for in-state tuition reasons, the state comparison matters more—and here, earnings at the 60th percentile suggest graduates are doing slightly better than most California math majors.

The debt picture reinforces this as a reasonable in-state option. At $18,212, graduates carry slightly more debt than the California median but substantially less than the national average. Combined with modest starting salaries, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.47 is manageable, and the 39% earnings growth to $53,675 by year four shows steady career progression. That puts four-year earnings within range of UC Santa Barbara and Berkeley graduates.

The catch: these numbers come from fewer than 30 graduates, so they may not represent a typical outcome. For a California family considering this program against pricier alternatives, the value proposition depends on actual cost—if you're paying in-state tuition at a CSU, this data suggests reasonable outcomes. If you're paying private school prices or significant out-of-state premiums, the starting salary lag becomes harder to justify.