Statistics at University of California-San Diego

Something appears off with UCSD's statistics program data. Despite the university's strong reputation and 25% acceptance rate, graduates report earning just $36,676 one year out—less than two-thirds of what statistics majors at nearby San Diego State earn ($57,734) and barely half of UC Berkeley's figure ($83,227). This places UCSD in the bottom 10% of California statistics programs, which is unusual for a UC campus.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) likely explains these surprising numbers. UCSD is known for strong STEM programs, and statistics graduates typically command solid starting salaries nationwide. It's possible the data caught a cohort where several students went to graduate school, took gap years, or had unusual employment situations. The debt load of $19,237 is actually reasonable—slightly below California's median for the program.

For parents, this data shouldn't deter you if your student is drawn to UCSD's program. The university's academic reputation and career services are far stronger than these outlier numbers suggest. However, do verify current graduate outcomes directly with the department and understand that California's other UC campuses show more consistent earnings patterns in their statistics programs. Given the small sample caveat, this is a case where the school's overall reputation matters more than this particular dataset.