Economics: Claremont McKenna College vs University of California-Los Angeles
Head-to-Head
| Claremont McKenna College | University of California-Los Angeles | |
|---|---|---|
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 4.8x | 16.0x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 4.8x | 4.9x |
| 4-Year Tuition (In-State) | $256,600 | $54,988 |
| Year 1 Earnings | $89,505 | $62,091 |
| 10-Year Earnings | $1,238K | $877K |
| Median Debt | $12,000 | $15,000 |
| Debt-to-Earnings Ratio | 1.6 months | 2.9 months |
| DegreeWorth Score (In-State) | 64/100 | 73/100 |
| Acceptance Rate | 11.1% | 8.7% |
Both programs have very high AI automation risk (56% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Economics graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →
ROI Breakdown
How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Economics graduates.
| Claremont McKenna College | University of California-Los Angeles | |
|---|---|---|
| 4-Year Tuition (In-State) | $256,600 | $54,988 |
| 4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) | $256,600 | $178,096 |
| 10-Year Projected Earnings | $1,238K | $877K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 4.8x | 16.0x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 4.8x | 4.9x |
| 5-Year Salary Growth | +70% | +62% |
"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.
AI Disruption Scenarios
Both schools share identical AI exposure for Economics (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.
| Claremont McKenna College | University of California-Los Angeles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optim. | Base | Pessim. | Optim. | Base | Pessim. | |
| 10-Year Earnings | $1,322K | $1,238K | $975K | $921K | $877K | $729K |
| Earnings Multiple (IS) | 5.2x | 4.8x | 3.8x | 16.8x | 16.0x | 13.3x |
| DegreeWorth Score | 66 | 64 | 57 | 75 | 73 | 65 |
For the full AI analysis of Economics career paths, see the Claremont McKenna College or University of California-Los Angeles program pages.
Earnings Trajectory Comparison
Projected annual earnings for Economics graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.
Career Paths
Economics graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $136,550 | 106,700 | +4.5% | 47% |
| Economics teachers, postsecondary | $119,980 | 1,200 | +2.1% | 48% |
| Economists | $115,440 | 900 | +1.2% | 61% |
| Data scientists | $112,590 | 23,400 | +33.5% | 64% |
| Statisticians | $103,300 | 2,000 | +8.5% | 66% |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | $76,950 | 87,200 | +6.7% | 55% |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $64,580 | 66,200 | -1.6% | 33% |
| Survey researchers | $63,380 | 700 | -5.2% | 62% |