Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
Photo: Stepheng3, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sonoma State University has 32 programs with reported graduate earnings. The highest is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (master's), where graduates earn a median $144,371 four years after finishing, against $120,338 for the same field nationally.
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Median earnings
$71,264
Former students who received federal aid
Source: U.S. College Scorecard, field of study, 2025
Median earnings of graduates who received federal aid, one and four years after finishing, and the median federal loan debt they borrowed at Sonoma State University. The field median is the middle value for the same field and credential across every college that reports it. 29 more programs have too few graduates for earnings to be published.
Highest-earning programs
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 62 | $134,423 | $143,886 | $86,02067% above | $12,500 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 23 | $80,515 | $112,757 | $98,95314% above | N/A |
| Computer Science | 48 | $86,813 | $106,181 | $99,1777% above | $12,500 |
| Economics | 26 | $47,235 | $83,668 | $79,3105% above | N/A |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 337 | $57,615 | $75,887 | $64,59017% above | $14,192 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 21 | $45,612 | $69,077 | $54,62726% above | N/A |
| Communication and Media Studies | 68 | $42,082 | $68,833 | $53,82528% above | $14,000 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 97 | $35,593 | $67,351 | $53,02427% above | $15,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 64 | $42,195 | $66,892 | $54,46923% above | $12,500 |
| Music | 22 | $39,731 | $65,533 | $43,38751% above | N/A |
| Political Science and Government | 25 | $42,054 | $65,009 | $61,6136% above | $11,125 |
| Mathematics | 21 | $44,425 | $64,913 | $70,6288% below | N/A |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 33 | $42,649 | $64,116 | $51,56924% above | $19,500 |
| Anthropology | 17 | $27,912 | $62,674 | $45,83337% above | N/A |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 105 | $50,456 | $59,444 | $52,02014% above | $14,045 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 61 | $36,574 | $59,418 | $48,77322% above | $14,190 |
| Psychology, General | 238 | $37,961 | $57,335 | $50,06615% above | $13,553 |
| History | 37 | $37,541 | $56,819 | $50,38713% above | $14,000 |
| Sociology | 72 | $47,971 | $56,581 | $52,1059% above | $15,198 |
| Biology, General | 86 | $42,178 | $56,345 | $57,5582% below | $15,000 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 22 | $44,894 | $53,489 | $56,0475% below | N/A |
| Education, Other | 82 | $38,015 | $52,842 | $48,6539% above | $17,529 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 19 | $39,066 | $52,672 | $47,26911% above | N/A |
| Philosophy | 19 | $46,650 | N/A | $37,81523% above | $13,250 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 27 | $39,240 | $46,022 | $41,55011% above | $17,503 |
| Geography and Cartography | 28 | $45,124 | N/A | $45,2120% above | $18,000 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 11 | $39,456 | N/A | $29,60833% above | N/A |
| Chemistry | 15 | $34,134 | N/A | $48,36029% below | N/A |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 32 | $153,933 | $144,371 | $120,33820% above | $41,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 29 | $99,923 | $127,133 | $95,12734% above | $41,000 |
| Education, General | 22 | $72,868 | $87,304 | $63,75437% above | N/A |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 29 | $61,883 | $63,781 | $58,9988% above | $30,055 |
Careers linked to the programs Sonoma State University reports, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for the whole occupation, not for this college's graduates.
Healthcare practitioners
Master's degree
Via Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Public Administration, Business Administration, Management and Operations
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Public Administration, Business Administration, Management and Operations
Science
Master's degree
Via Psychology, General
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Computer Science, Business Administration, Management and Operations
Science
Doctoral or professional degree
Via Physics
Verified facts
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Bars show profile closeness out of 100: how near each college's graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control are to Sonoma State University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later card can score higher.
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Graduation rate 55%, close to 55%
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Profile closeness74/100
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Northridge, CA
Graduation rate 57%, close to 55%
Profile closeness72/100
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA
Graduation rate 58%, close to 55%
Profile closeness70/100
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