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Business · Management Science Rank #87 of 118

Management Scienceat University of California-Davis

Graduates earn $52,684/yr in their first year — about 16.0% below the national Management Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $566K; scenarios range from $516K to $572K depending on AI disruption.

Davis, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
63 SOLID
64
Optimistic
59
Pessimistic
Earnings
$52,684
1-year post-graduation
ROI
7.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$566K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
58% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UC Davis

At $52,684 per year, Management Science graduates from University of California-Davis earn below the $62,729 national average. Lower costs or geographic factors may offset the earnings gap.

At 9.3x the cost of in-state tuition, the ten-year earnings outlook represents a strong return. Not exceptional, but meaningfully positive.

AI risk is moderate — 55% task exposure — and the 10% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $12,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

At #87 out of 118 programs, University of California-Davis's financial outcomes for Management Science trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$516K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple8.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$566K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score63/100
Earnings Multiple9.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$572K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple9.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UC Davis's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Management Science graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Chief executives
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 22,200 openings/yr
$206,420/yr
High
2
Actuaries
+21.8% 10-yr growth · 2,400 openings/yr
$125,770/yr
High
3
Data scientists
+33.5% 10-yr growth · 23,400 openings/yr
$112,590/yr
High
4
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
5
Statisticians
+8.5% 10-yr growth · 2,000 openings/yr
$103,300/yr
High
6
General and operations managers
+4.4% 10-yr growth · 308,700 openings/yr
$102,950/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Management Science

How UC Davis stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$105K
1-yr earn
3.0x
ROI
New York University
NY · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$103K
1-yr earn
3.2x
ROI
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$100K
1-yr earn
3.1x
ROI
University of Virginia-Main Campus
VA · Public
72
DW Score
$94K
1-yr earn
10.1x
ROI
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
66
DW Score
$93K
1-yr earn
2.6x
ROI
Also at UC Davis

Other top programs at UC Davis

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Davis, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Management Science offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Management Science trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Management Science at UC Davis

How does University of California-Davis's Management Science program score?

A score of 63/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of California-Davis trails the majority of Management Science programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Management Science to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Management Science careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 55% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.

Why are Management Science earnings lower at University of California-Davis?

Lower starting pay at University of California-Davis may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.