Bachelor's · Chico, California
Is Area Studies at California State University-Chico worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 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 14.2 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- Not enough graduates to report
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $44,918
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- Not enough borrowers to report
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $60k (likely $60k – $82k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $5k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 14.2 years (likely 6.9–20+)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$205k (likely −$294k – −$113k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$128k (likely −$295k – $51k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 60%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Area Studies at other schools
Other majors at California State University-Chico
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$127,498
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$117,543
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$109,161
- Engineering, Other (Bachelor's)$103,272
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$97,345
- Construction Engineering Technology/Technician (Bachelor's)$94,934
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$93,555
- Civil Engineering (Bachelor's)$92,472
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$91,059
- Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's)$86,430
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$85,612
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering (Bachelor's)$81,738
Area Studies at other schools in California
- University of California-Berkeley$70,366
- University of California-Santa Barbara$59,042
- California State University-Northridge$53,077
- University of California-Los Angeles$51,755
- California State University-Fullerton$50,739
- California State University-Long Beach$50,071
- University of California-Irvine$39,731
- University of California-Riverside$39,039
- University of California-Davis$31,701
- University of California-San Diego$22,043