Top 50 Best Doctoral Degree Programs in California by ROI

Every Doctoral Degree program in California ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in California

126

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$863,982

Across all California programs

Average Annual Cost

$51,165

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	University of Southern California Grad rate: 92.2%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	+$3,249,648	$221,418	$84,678	N/A	Full ROI →
2	Loma Linda University	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	+$3,054,440	$194,722	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
3	University of California-San Diego Grad rate: 87.7%	Economics.	+$2,760,480	$187,289	$36,325	N/A	Full ROI →
4	University of Southern California Grad rate: 92.2%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	+$2,567,548	$187,313	$84,678	N/A	Full ROI →
5	California State University-Fullerton Grad rate: 69.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$2,411,252	$165,916	$16,767	N/A	Full ROI →
6	University of California-San Francisco	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	+$2,308,440	$157,422	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
7	Stanford University Grad rate: 94.0%	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.	+$2,302,312	$173,548	$82,162	N/A	Full ROI →
8	Claremont Graduate University	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$2,106,520	$147,326	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
9	University of San Francisco Grad rate: 72.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$2,082,236	$161,396	$76,421	N/A	Full ROI →
10	California State University-Fresno Grad rate: 55.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,862,600	$138,860	$18,650	N/A	Full ROI →
11	University of California-Irvine Grad rate: 86.3%	Physics.	+$1,840,036	$141,226	$36,121	N/A	Full ROI →
12	University of California-San Francisco	Dentistry.	+$1,808,920	$132,446	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
13	University of Southern California Grad rate: 92.2%	Marketing.	+$1,768,908	$147,381	$84,678	N/A	Full ROI →
14	Samuel Merritt University	Medicine.	+$1,729,080	$128,454	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
15	University of Massachusetts Global	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,689,600	$133,153	$33,365	N/A	Full ROI →
16	University of California-San Francisco	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,676,460	$125,823	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
17	University of California-San Diego Grad rate: 87.7%	Biomedical/Medical Engineering.	+$1,643,940	$131,462	$36,325	N/A	Full ROI →
18	University of Southern California Grad rate: 92.2%	Legal Professions and Studies, Other.	+$1,627,888	$140,330	$84,678	N/A	Full ROI →
19	University of California-Los Angeles Grad rate: 92.6%	Mechanical Engineering.	+$1,535,048	$126,081	$36,643	N/A	Full ROI →
20	University of California-San Diego Grad rate: 87.7%	Physics.	+$1,501,220	$124,326	$36,325	N/A	Full ROI →
21	California State University-Fullerton Grad rate: 69.3%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$1,376,392	$114,173	$16,767	N/A	Full ROI →
22	California State University-Long Beach Grad rate: 71.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,309,120	$111,518	$20,310	N/A	Full ROI →
23	University of La Verne Grad rate: 64.4%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$1,267,704	$117,698	$61,564	N/A	Full ROI →
24	University of Southern California Grad rate: 92.2%	Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management.	+$1,265,448	$122,208	$84,678	N/A	Full ROI →
25	University of California-Berkeley Grad rate: 93.5%	Chemistry.	+$1,248,628	$112,973	$42,708	N/A	Full ROI →
26	California State University-Fresno Grad rate: 55.5%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$1,236,940	$107,577	$18,650	N/A	Full ROI →
27	University of California-Los Angeles Grad rate: 92.6%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$1,203,908	$109,524	$36,643	N/A	Full ROI →
28	California State University-Long Beach Grad rate: 71.3%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$1,195,660	$105,845	$20,310	N/A	Full ROI →
29	Northcentral University	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$1,182,700	$101,135	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
30	University of California-San Diego Grad rate: 87.7%	Education, General.	+$1,175,380	$108,034	$36,325	N/A	Full ROI →
31	University of San Diego Grad rate: 82.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,175,364	$115,744	$74,879	N/A	Full ROI →
32	California Institute of Technology Grad rate: 93.6%	Chemistry.	+$1,169,368	$117,188	$83,598	N/A	Full ROI →
33	Claremont Graduate University	Education, General.	+$1,169,180	$100,459	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
34	California Lutheran University Grad rate: 73.6%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$1,120,188	$110,763	$63,768	N/A	Full ROI →
35	University of Southern California Grad rate: 92.2%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$1,032,988	$110,585	$84,678	N/A	Full ROI →
36	Palo Alto University	Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology.	+$1,006,180	$92,309	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
37	University of California-Davis Grad rate: 85.7%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$999,432	$99,585	$38,067	N/A	Full ROI →
38	California State University-Stanislaus Grad rate: 56.6%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$984,572	$94,937	$18,542	N/A	Full ROI →
39	University of Southern California Grad rate: 92.2%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$980,588	$107,965	$84,678	N/A	Full ROI →
40	University of California-San Diego Grad rate: 87.7%	Biology, General.	+$941,120	$96,321	$36,325	N/A	Full ROI →
41	Loyola Marymount University Grad rate: 80.6%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	+$937,732	$104,060	$75,867	N/A	Full ROI →
42	California State University-Fresno Grad rate: 55.5%	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions.	+$935,600	$92,510	$18,650	N/A	Full ROI →
43	University of California-San Francisco	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions.	+$933,620	$88,681	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
44	The Chicago School at Anaheim	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$920,880	$88,044	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
45	The Chicago School at Los Angeles	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$920,880	$88,044	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
46	Northcentral University	Psychology, General.	+$913,100	$87,655	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
47	University of California-Los Angeles Grad rate: 92.6%	Public Health.	+$874,608	$93,059	$36,643	N/A	Full ROI →
48	California State University-Sacramento Grad rate: 55.1%	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions.	+$857,124	$89,399	$22,714	N/A	Full ROI →
49	University of California-Irvine Grad rate: 86.3%	Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.	+$834,616	$90,955	$36,121	N/A	Full ROI →
50	Mount Saint Mary's University Grad rate: 56.7%	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions.	+$827,312	$96,293	$64,637	N/A	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.