Electrical: California State University-Long Beach vs University of California-Berkeley

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
32.1x
$28,032 tuition
35.5x
$59,400 tuition
Out-of-State
11.9x
$75,552 tuition
11.6x
$182,508 tuition
$899,889 10-yr earnings · Public
$2,109,961 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

California State University-Long Beach University of California-Berkeley
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 32.1x 35.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.9x 11.6x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $28,032 $59,400
Year 1 Earnings $77,278 $137,295
10-Year Earnings $900K $2,110K
Median Debt $19,000 $13,674
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 3.0 months 1.2 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 70/100 71/100
Acceptance Rate 47.1% 11.7%

Both programs have very high AI automation risk (56% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Electrical graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Electrical graduates.

California State University-Long Beach University of California-Berkeley
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $28,032 $59,400
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $75,552 $182,508
10-Year Projected Earnings $900K $2,110K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 32.1x 35.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.9x 11.6x
5-Year Salary Growth +31% +75%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Electrical (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

California State University-Long Beach University of California-Berkeley
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $947K $900K $748K $2,298K $2,110K $1,576K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 33.8x 32.1x 26.7x 38.7x 35.5x 26.5x
DegreeWorth Score 72 70 64 73 71 65

For the full AI analysis of Electrical career paths, see the California State University-Long Beach or University of California-Berkeley program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Electrical graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$31,368
California State University-Long Beach saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$60,017/yr
University of California-Berkeley grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
32.1x / 35.5x
Out-of-state: 11.9x / 11.6x

Career Paths

Electrical graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Computer hardware engineers $155,020 4,700 +7.3% 73%
Aerospace engineers $134,830 4,500 +6.1% 57%
Electronics engineers, except computer $127,590 5,700 +6.2% 67%
Engineers, all other $117,750 9,300 +2.1% 46%
Electrical engineers $111,910 11,700 +7.2% 56%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

Explore Each Program

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Electrical: California State University-Long Beach or University of California-Berkeley?
California State University-Long Beach scores 70/100 while University of California-Berkeley scores 71/100. California State University-Long Beach has significantly lower tuition, which drives its competitive ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Electrical?
California State University-Long Beach has an in-state earnings multiple of 32.1x vs University of California-Berkeley's 35.5x. That means University of California-Berkeley grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $31,368 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do California State University-Long Beach and University of California-Berkeley compare on Electrical earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $77,278 at California State University-Long Beach vs $137,295 at University of California-Berkeley. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $899,889 vs $2,109,961 — a difference of $1,210,072.
How much does Electrical cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $28,032 at California State University-Long Beach and $59,400 at University of California-Berkeley. Median debt at graduation is $19,000 vs $13,674. Both programs lead to the same Electrical career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.