Best Marketing Degrees in California by ROI
Colleges in California ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment — calculated from median graduate earnings, total attendance cost, and average student debt. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs in California
19
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$37,726
Across California programs
Average Annual Cost
$44,183
Cost of attendance
| # | College | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Point Loma Nazarene University
Grad rate: 74.8% |
+$407,044 | $73,685 | $56,664 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
San Jose State University
Grad rate: 66.2% |
+$354,440 | $64,861 | $25,695 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
San Diego State University
Grad rate: 78.1% |
+$211,122 | $59,040 | $27,357 | $15,000 | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Santa Clara University
Grad rate: 88.5% |
+$195,436 | $68,656 | $77,768 | $19,712 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
San Francisco State University
Grad rate: 52.2% |
+$158,297 | $55,797 | $25,258 | $12,304 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
California State University-Fresno
Grad rate: 55.5% |
+$72,684 | $50,498 | $18,650 | $16,797 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Loyola Marymount University
Grad rate: 80.6% |
+$48,582 | $61,290 | $75,867 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
California State University-San Marcos
Grad rate: 55.3% |
+$35,610 | $49,294 | $21,144 | $19,032 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
California State University-Northridge
Grad rate: 56.1% |
+$32,072 | $48,612 | $20,317 | $14,000 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
University of Phoenix-California
Grad rate: 21.4% |
+$15,015 | $45,793 | N/A | $45,070 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of San Diego
Grad rate: 82.1% |
+$8,527 | $58,845 | $74,879 | $21,375 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
University of San Francisco
Grad rate: 72.8% |
+$1,151 | $58,793 | $76,421 | $21,500 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Azusa Pacific University
Grad rate: 62.8% |
-$10,270 | $53,851 | $54,735 | $21,000 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
California Baptist University
Grad rate: 61.2% |
-$48,902 | $51,859 | $52,408 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
California State University-Long Beach
Grad rate: 71.3% |
-$53,997 | $44,313 | $20,310 | $14,087 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost (annual cost × programme years) − Debt Payoff (avg debt × 1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20 = $840,000)
A positive ROI means a degree in this field pays off relative to entering the workforce without one. Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Marketing Degrees by State
Browse Marketing programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.