Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at University of California-Merced

UC Merced's Environmental Engineering program shows a trajectory that should temper initial concerns about its below-average starting salary. While graduates earn just $47,000 in their first year—ranking in only the 5th percentile nationally and 25th in California—earnings jump nearly 50% to $70,000 by year four. That's a significant rebound, though the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means individual outcomes could vary considerably.

The debt picture offers some comfort: at $21,665, graduates carry slightly less debt than the state median, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46. For a campus where 59% of students receive Pell grants, this relatively modest debt load matters. However, the earnings gap versus Cal Poly SLO ($82,000) and even nearby UC Riverside ($59,000) is substantial and persists even after four years.

This program might work for students seeking UC Merced's smaller campus environment and who can weather lower initial earnings, possibly through graduate school or strategic internships that accelerate their career growth. But families should know they're accepting a financial tradeoff: access to the UC system at a campus still building its engineering reputation, with earnings that lag behind more established programs both in-state and nationally. The small sample size adds uncertainty—these numbers could shift significantly with future cohorts.