California State University Maritime Academy: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
California State University Maritime Academy is a public college in Vallejo, CA. Students pay about $20,555 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $94,784 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.2 years and adds $373,655 over a decade, ranking it #25 of 918 (top 4%) by value added.
What is California State University Maritime Academy's acceptance rate?
California State University Maritime Academy has an acceptance rate of 95.0%, which makes it largely open-admission. It is a public institution in Vallejo, CA enrolling about 804 students, with a 63.3% graduation rate.
How much does California State University Maritime Academy cost?
California State University Maritime Academy costs about $20,555 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $107,185. Published sticker cost of attendance is $29,853 per year.
How much do California State University Maritime Academy graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median California State University Maritime Academy student earns $94,784 per year. That is $48,084 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is California State University Maritime Academy worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
California State University Maritime Academy pays back its roughly $107,185 cost in about 2.2 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $373,655 net of cost, a 4.49x return on the money invested. That ranks it #25 of 918 (top 4%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a small, focused program.
Top 10% value
California State University Maritime Academy graduation rate and student debt
63.3% of California State University Maritime Academy students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $24,965 in federal student debt. That debt is about 26% of one year of median graduate earnings.
California State University Maritime Academy by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How California State University Maritime Academy compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $20,555 | $20,299 | cheaper than 49% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $94,784 | $54,768 | 97th |
| Graduation rate | 63.3% | 57.0% | 63th |
| Acceptance rate | 95.0% | 75.7% | more selective than 10% |
| 10-yr value added | $373,655 | -$28,192 | 97th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 4.49x | 0.73x | 96th |
| Payback period | 2.2 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 96% |
How California State University Maritime Academy compares with its nearest rivals
California State University Maritime Academy ranks #25 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 1 of them costs less per year and 4 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
California State University Maritime Academy is a public college in Vallejo, CA with 804 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $29,853 a year, but the average aided family pays $20,555, a 31% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $24,965, equal to 26% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Admission is broadly accessible at California State University Maritime Academy, which admits 95.0% of applicants, so cost and completion decide its value more than selectivity does.
- University of Chicago (Chicago, IL; #24 of 918; 95.4% graduate) costs $5,695 less per year ($14,860 net), and its graduates earn $2,899 less ten years out ($91,885). University of Chicago adds $3,755 more ten-year value than California State University Maritime Academy. University of Chicago pays back its cost in 1.6 years.
- Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH; #26 of 918; 95.8% graduate) costs $8,964 more per year ($29,519 net), and its graduates earn $2,650 more ten years out ($97,434). California State University Maritime Academy adds $1,891 more ten-year value than Dartmouth College. Dartmouth College pays back its cost in 2.7 years.
- SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, NY; #23 of 918; 69.5% graduate) costs $1,812 more per year ($22,367 net), and its graduates earn $1,167 more ten years out ($95,951). SUNY Maritime College adds $6,137 more ten-year value than California State University Maritime Academy. SUNY Maritime College pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
- Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO; #27 of 918; 80.9% graduate) costs $8,135 more per year ($28,690 net), and its graduates earn $2,551 more ten years out ($97,335). California State University Maritime Academy adds $5,065 more ten-year value than Colorado School of Mines. Colorado School of Mines pays back its cost in 2.7 years.
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY; #22 of 918; 83.4% graduate) costs $15,673 more per year ($36,228 net), and its graduates earn $7,267 more ten years out ($102,051). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute adds $11,193 more ten-year value than California State University Maritime Academy. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute pays back its cost in 3 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | #22 | $36,228 | $102,051 | 83.4% | $384,848 |
| SUNY Maritime College | #23 | $22,367 | $95,951 | 69.5% | $379,792 |
| University of Chicago | #24 | $14,860 | $91,885 | 95.4% | $377,410 |
| California State University Maritime Academy | #25 | $20,555 | $94,784 | 63.3% | $373,655 |
| Dartmouth College | #26 | $29,519 | $97,434 | 95.8% | $371,764 |
| Colorado School of Mines | #27 | $28,690 | $97,335 | 80.9% | $368,590 |
Paying for California State University Maritime Academy
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is California State University Maritime Academy worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, California State University Maritime Academy ranks #25 of 918 (top 4%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 4.49x the money invested over a decade.
Is California State University Maritime Academy expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $20,555 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 49% of them.
Do California State University Maritime Academy graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $94,784 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 97% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into California State University Maritime Academy compared to other colleges?
Its 95.0% acceptance rate is above the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 10% of the colleges in the snapshot.
Join the college data list
We have not started sending yet; we will only email when we do. No spam.
Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.