CAMPUS · SANTA CRUZ, CA · PUBLIC

UC Santa Cruz

University of California-Santa Cruz

62.5%

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UC Santa Cruz Majors Overview: Salary, Courses & Career Outcomes

Every major at UC Santa Cruz with graduate salary, course catalog depth, and career preparation data.

#	Major	US Rank	UC Santa Cruz Salary	National Median	Premium	Degrees/Year	Courses
1	Computer Science	—	$78,750	$75,000	+5%	744	6
Featured Courses: CSE 211: Taught in conjunction with CSE 211 CSE 116: Students work in teams to develop, test, document, and deploy a substantial software project CSE 185: Enrollment by permission of instructor CSE 162: Students gain additional competence in a hands-on computational laboratory setting CSE 185S: (Formerly Computer Engineering 185, Technical Writing for Computer Engineers
2	Engineering	—	$75,600	$72,000	+5%	155	2
Featured Courses: BME 150: Enrollment is restricted to senior bioengineering or biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors ANTH 267A: Enrollment is restricted to graduate students and by permission of the instructor
3	Mathematics & Statistics	—	$65,100	$62,000	+5%	104	4
Featured Courses: AM 214: (Formerly AMS 214 MATH 145: One three-hour session per week in microcomputer laboratory MATH 210: Topics include theory of characteristic classes of vector bundles, cobordism theory, and homotopy theory MATH 200: MATH 202
4	Business	—	$57,750	$55,000	+5%	279	—
5	Physical Sciences	—	$50,400	$48,000	+5%	235	7
Featured Courses: EART 188B: May not be taken concurrently with EART 120, EART 272: Students cannot receive credit for this course and EART 272 EART 110: Enrollment is restricted to Earth sciences majors, and combined Earth sciences/environmental studies majors EART 152: Students cannot receive credit for this course and EART 152 EART 191C: Students cannot receive credit for this course and EART 191C
6	Social Sciences	—	$47,250	$45,000	+5%	524	2
Featured Courses: ANTH 275: (Formerly African Complex Societies ANTH 267A: Enrollment is restricted to graduate students and by permission of the instructor
7	Legal Professions	—	$47,250	$45,000	+5%	106	2
Featured Courses: POLI 160B: Enrollment is restricted to senior politics and Latin American and Latino studies/politics combined majors ECON 100A: or ECON 100M; and ECON 113
8	Biological Sciences	—	$44,100	$42,000	+5%	708	4
Featured Courses: BIOE 159D: No text is required for this course; instead, readings from the current literature will be assigned CHEM 151A: Laboratory: 4 hours per week METX 202: (Formerly Cellular and Organismal Toxicology METX 119L: Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors
9	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	—	$44,100	$42,000	+5%	125	—
10	Agriculture & Natural Resources	—	$44,100	$42,000	+5%	26	—
11	Natural Resources & Conservation	—	$42,000	$40,000	+5%	156	1
Featured Courses: ENVS 183A: Students submit petition to course-sponsoring agency
12	History	—	$42,000	$40,000	+5%	93	2
Featured Courses: HISC 222A: Enrollment is restricted to graduate students HISC 237A: Students read landmark works of classical and contemporary Marxism
13	Foreign Languages & Linguistics	—	$39,900	$38,000	+5%	157	10
Featured Courses: LING 116: Enrollment is by permission of instructor LING 219: Does not require a final paper LIT 101: Enrollment is restricted to senior literature majors
14	Area/Ethnic/Cultural Studies	—	$39,900	$38,000	+5%	106	—
15	Education	—	$39,900	$38,000	+5%	69	1
Featured Courses: EDUC 201: Weekly supervision and seminars with teacher supervisors are required
16	Philosophy & Religious Studies	—	$39,900	$38,000	+5%	42	—
17	Public Administration & Social Services	—	$39,900	$38,000	+5%	29	—
18	Psychology	—	$37,800	$36,000	+5%	430	—
19	Visual & Performing Arts	—	$35,700	$34,000	+5%	430	1
Featured Courses: FILM 132C: Enrollment restricted to senior film and digital media majors

Career Path Match at UC Santa Cruz 🎖️ DeepColleges Exclusive

How many courses at UC Santa Cruz align with each career direction. More relevant courses mean better preparation for your target career.

Bioinformatics & Computational Biology 1

BME 150: Enrollment is restricted to senior bioengineering or biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors

Pharmacy & Drug Development 1

METX 202: (Formerly Cellular and Organismal Toxicology

Film & Video Production 1

FILM 132C: Enrollment restricted to senior film and digital media majors

Journalism & Media 1

FILM 132C: Enrollment restricted to senior film and digital media majors

Highest & Lowest ROI Majors at UC Santa Cruz

Highest-Earning Majors

Computer Science

$78,750/yr

Engineering

$75,600/yr

Mathematics & Statistics

$65,100/yr

Lowest-Earning Majors

Visual & Performing Arts

$35,700/yr

Psychology

$37,800/yr

Public Administration & Social Services

$39,900/yr

Popular Majors at UC Santa Cruz

The most popular fields of study, ranked by the number of degrees awarded.

Computer Science

15.4%

Biological Sciences

14.7%

Social Sciences

12.7%

Psychology

10.3%

Visual/Performing Arts

9.5%

Best Majors at UC Santa Cruz →

UC Santa Cruz Majors FAQs

What are the most popular majors at UC Santa Cruz?

UC Santa Cruz's most popular majors by share of degrees awarded are: Computer Science (15.4%), Biological Sciences (14.7%), Social Sciences (12.7%). The full ranking by graduate salary is in the table above.

Which major at UC Santa Cruz pays the most?

The highest-earning major at UC Santa Cruz is Computer Science, with a median 4-year-out salary of $78,750 — well above the school-wide median of $68,396.

Are some majors at UC Santa Cruz harder to get into than others?

Yes. UC Santa Cruz's overall acceptance rate is 62.5%, but selective programs (computer science, business, engineering, nursing) often admit at lower rates than the school-wide average. Check program-specific admission stats where available.

Should I pick my major based on salary at UC Santa Cruz?

Salary should be one factor, not the only one. Major choice impacts earnings (engineering and CS typically lead) but career fit, course interest, and graduation-rate within the major also matter. The salary table above shows the median pay by program at UC Santa Cruz.