Computer Engineering at California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
87
Optimistic
84
Base Case
75
Pessimistic
Earnings
$75,692/yr (-4% vs median)
AI Risk
Very High (71% exposed)
Job Market
Very Large (167,700 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Computer Engineering graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $868K | $724K | $466K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 30.6x | 25.5x | 16.4x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 11.4x | 9.5x | 6.1x |
| Viable Career Paths | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 | 3 of 7 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 87 | 84 | 75 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$28,380
Out-of-state: $75,900
Median Debt at Graduation
$18,346
2.9 months of Year 1 earnings
Career Paths
Where Computer Engineering graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 167,700 combined openings per year.
| 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% |
| Database architects | $135,980 | 4,000 | +8.7% | 94% |
| Software developers | $133,080 | 115,200 | +15.8% | 87% |
| Computer network architects | $130,390 | 11,200 | +11.9% | 61% |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $106,120 | 4,100 | +8.1% | 50% |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | $102,610 | 14,000 | +10.0% | 88% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Computer Engineering at California State University-Northridge?
This program scores 84/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 87 (optimistic) to 75 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Computer Engineering career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Computer Engineering graduates retain 7 of 7 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $466,118 (pessimistic) to $867,725 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Computer Engineering graduates?
The career paths mapped to Computer Engineering have roughly 167,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Computer Engineering at California State University-Northridge worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 25.5x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 16.4x. 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.