Marine Sciences at California State University-Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
50
Optimistic
46
Base Case
40
Pessimistic
Earnings
$27,268/yr (-2% vs median)
AI Risk
High (41% exposed)
Job Market
Large (40,700 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Marine Sciences graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $523K | $329K | $214K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 17.6x | 11.1x | 7.2x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 6.8x | 4.3x | 2.8x |
| Viable Career Paths | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 50 | 46 | 40 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$29,748
Out-of-state: $77,268
Median Debt at Graduation
$17,149
7.5 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$45,771
68% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Marine Sciences graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 40,700 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $161,180 | 8,500 | +3.7% | 50% |
| Physical scientists, all other | $117,960 | 2,000 | +0.6% | 46% |
| Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers | $99,240 | 2,000 | +3.2% | 47% |
| Biological scientists, all other | $93,330 | 4,800 | +1.2% | 49% |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | $80,060 | 8,500 | +4.4% | 53% |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $78,490 | 13,500 | +1.8% | 0% |
| Zoologists and wildlife biologists | $72,860 | 1,400 | +1.6% | 45% |
Compare & Explore
Marine Sciences at Other Schools
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Marine Sciences at California State University-Monterey Bay?
This program scores 46/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 50 (optimistic) to 40 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Marine Sciences career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Marine Sciences graduates retain 7 of 7 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $213,770 (pessimistic) to $522,793 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Marine Sciences graduates?
The career paths mapped to Marine Sciences have roughly 40,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Marine Sciences at California State University-Monterey Bay worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 11.1x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 7.2x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
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.