Community Organization and Advocacy at University of California-Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz's Community Organization and Advocacy program faces a difficult tradeoff: graduates start earning just $29,617—landing in the bottom 5th percentile nationally for this field. While the debt load of $17,750 is relatively manageable and matches California's median for the program, the initial earnings are concerning. That first-year salary is about $12,000 below what graduates at Cal State Dominguez Hills earn from a similar program.

The story improves significantly with time. By year four, earnings jump 54% to $45,701, surpassing both the national and state medians. This strong growth trajectory suggests the program may be preparing students for roles that require some field experience before paying well, or that graduates are building valuable networks through their work. However, those early years matter—parents should understand their child will likely need financial support or multiple roommates during that initial period.

For families who can absorb the low starting salary, this program eventually delivers competitive outcomes. But if your child needs to be financially independent quickly after graduation, the other California programs start stronger out of the gate. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) means these numbers are reasonably reliable, though not based on hundreds of data points.