Bachelor's · Arcata, California
Is Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 9.7 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $34,340
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $50,487
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $15,000
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $60k (likely $58k – $83k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $10k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 9.7 years (likely 7.3–14.2)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$169k (likely −$244k – −$115k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$25k (likely −$136k – $100k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 44%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management at other schools
🌱 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward animals, plants & the planet majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Biology
- AP Environmental Science
- AP Chemistry
- AP Statistics
IB Higher Level
- Biology HL
- Environmental Systems and Societies
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
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