How much debt do Cal State Monterey Bay international studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $14,093, which ranks 2nd lowest of 9 international studies bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $149 a month over 10 years.

Is a international studies degree from Cal State Monterey Bay worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 41% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 69%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several California programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Cal State Monterey Bay International Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Cal State Monterey Bay international studies graduates stay in California?

Most do. 94% (33 of 35) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in International/Globalization Studies
Public university
Seaside, CA
About 11 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Cal State Monterey Bay international studies graduates earn about what international studies graduates earn nationally, $34,246 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $14,093 in federal loans, less than at 94% of international studies programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying international studies degrees in California.

First-year earnings$34,24660th percentile of 80 programs nationally

Median federal debt$14,0932nd lowest of 9 California programs

Debt-to-earnings41%California median 44%, national 69%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all international studies bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Cal State Monterey Bay	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$34,246	$34,246	$32,513
Median federal debt at graduation	$14,093	$15,454	$22,233
Debt as share of first-year pay	41%	44%	69%
Programs compared		9	80

Debt and first-year pay at every California international studies program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

Cal State Monterey BayOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $149 a month, or 5.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (26 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	40–59%

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

94% of graduates (33 of 35) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Salinas area are about 9% above the national average, so a $34,246 salary here buys what about $31,406 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to international studies, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Political Scientists

$142,080

Median pay nationwide. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

About Cal State Monterey Bay

In-state tuition and fees	$7,779 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$20,379 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,663 / year
Admission rate	97%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	59%
Undergraduate students	6,819

International Studies ranks 8th of 17 bachelor's programs at Cal State Monterey Bay by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($117,088), Computer Science ($71,458), and Business Administration ($47,825).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $34,246 one year after graduating. The median across international studies bachelor's programs in California is $34,246.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the international studies program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

International Studies bachelor's programs in California, ranked9 programs by pay and debt International Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked80 programs by pay and debt All Cal State Monterey Bay programs, ranked17 programs by pay and debt