Bachelor's · La Jolla, California

Is Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of California-San Diego worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 6.2 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $43,977; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $57,271; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $17,103; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $63k (likely $63k – $67k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $17k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 6.2 years (likely 4.5–9.3); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$83k (likely −$157k – −$7k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $138k (likely −$16k – $322k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 86%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Change income, residency or loans Compare Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at other schools

🌍 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward languages & cultures majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

AP Spanish Language and Culture (or French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Latin)
AP World History: Modern
AP Human Geography

IB Higher Level

Language B HL
History HL or Geography HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at University of California-San Diego

Computer Science (Master's)$231,397
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$201,287
Computer Engineering (Master's)$173,180
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's)$169,987
Physics (Doctoral)$166,997
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral)$165,543
Computer Science (Bachelor's)$159,487
Engineering, Other (Master's)$158,915
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$149,271
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$149,139
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Doctoral)$148,833
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$145,693

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at other schools in California

University of California-Berkeley$67,291
Sonoma State University$64,116
San Francisco State University$59,990
University of California-Santa Barbara$59,004
University of California-Davis$58,670
California State University-East Bay$57,145
University of California-Riverside$56,555
California State University-Sacramento$56,188
California State University-Los Angeles$55,970
University of California-Santa Cruz$55,798