Electrical: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo vs California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
22.7x
$44,300 tuition
31.5x
$29,756 tuition
Out-of-State
8.1x
$123,980 tuition
12.1x
$77,276 tuition
$1,007,202 10-yr earnings · Public
$938,357 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 22.7x 31.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.1x 12.1x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $44,300 $29,756
Year 1 Earnings $90,576 $80,827
10-Year Earnings $1,007K $938K
Median Debt $23,475 $17,985
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 3.1 months 2.7 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 69/100 70/100
Acceptance Rate 29.8% 73.7%

Both programs have very high AI automation risk (56% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Electrical graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Electrical graduates.

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $44,300 $29,756
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $123,980 $77,276
10-Year Projected Earnings $1,007K $938K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 22.7x 31.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.1x 12.1x
5-Year Salary Growth +29% +32%

"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 Electrical (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $1,067K $1,007K $821K $990K $938K $774K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 24.1x 22.7x 18.5x 33.3x 31.5x 26.0x
DegreeWorth Score 72 69 62 72 70 64

For the full AI analysis of Electrical career paths, see the California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo or California State Polytechnic University-Pomona program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Electrical graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$14,544
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$9,749/yr
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
22.7x / 31.5x
Out-of-state: 8.1x / 12.1x

Career Paths

Electrical 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
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Computer hardware engineers $155,020 4,700 +7.3% 73%
Aerospace engineers $134,830 4,500 +6.1% 57%
Electronics engineers, except computer $127,590 5,700 +6.2% 67%
Engineers, all other $117,750 9,300 +2.1% 46%
Electrical engineers $111,910 11,700 +7.2% 56%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Electrical: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo or California State Polytechnic University-Pomona?
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo scores 69/100 while California State Polytechnic University-Pomona scores 70/100. California State Polytechnic University-Pomona has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Electrical?
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo has an in-state earnings multiple of 22.7x vs California State Polytechnic University-Pomona's 31.5x. That means California State Polytechnic University-Pomona grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and California State Polytechnic University-Pomona compare on Electrical earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $90,576 at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo vs $80,827 at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $1,007,202 vs $938,357 — a difference of $68,845.
How much does Electrical cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $44,300 at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and $29,756 at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. Median debt at graduation is $23,475 vs $17,985. Both programs lead to the same Electrical career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.