Program Analysis
At $79,969/yr, Computer Engineering graduates from University of California-Santa Cruz land near the $78,694 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
With a 22.5x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
Career paths for Computer Engineering carry above-average AI exposure (71% of tasks). The 34% scenario spread means the difference between optimistic and pessimistic outcomes is substantial.
The median debt load of $23,434 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
University of California-Santa Cruz ranks #24 among 174 Computer Engineering programs, placing it in the top 5% nationally by our financial outcomes measure.
The $79,969-to-$137,877 earnings arc over five years reflects a 72% gain — well above average career growth for recent graduates.