Business/Commerce, General: California State University-San Marcos vs Montana State University
Head-to-Head
| California State University-San Marcos | Montana State University | |
|---|---|---|
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 19.6x | 18.6x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 7.7x | 4.8x |
| 4-Year Tuition (In-State) | $30,956 | $32,332 |
| Year 1 Earnings | $46,958 | $48,164 |
| 10-Year Earnings | $605K | $603K |
| Median Debt | $20,951 | $20,735 |
| Debt-to-Earnings Ratio | 5.4 months | 5.2 months |
| DegreeWorth Score (In-State) | 73/100 | 73/100 |
| Acceptance Rate | 95.7% | 86.8% |
Both programs have high AI automation risk (46% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Business/Commerce, General graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →
ROI Breakdown
How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Business/Commerce, General graduates.
| California State University-San Marcos | Montana State University | |
|---|---|---|
| 4-Year Tuition (In-State) | $30,956 | $32,332 |
| 4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) | $78,476 | $125,348 |
| 10-Year Projected Earnings | $605K | $603K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 19.6x | 18.6x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 7.7x | 4.8x |
| 5-Year Salary Growth | +45% | +42% |
"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 Business/Commerce, General (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.
| California State University-San Marcos | Montana State University | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optim. | Base | Pessim. | Optim. | Base | Pessim. | |
| 10-Year Earnings | $616K | $605K | $547K | $613K | $603K | $545K |
| Earnings Multiple (IS) | 19.9x | 19.6x | 17.7x | 18.9x | 18.6x | 16.9x |
| DegreeWorth Score | 74 | 73 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 67 |
For the full AI analysis of Business/Commerce, General career paths, see the California State University-San Marcos or Montana State University program pages.
Earnings Trajectory Comparison
Projected annual earnings for Business/Commerce, General graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.
Career Paths
Business/Commerce, General 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief executives | $206,420 | 22,200 | +4.3% | 56% |
| Sales managers | $138,060 | 49,000 | +4.7% | 45% |
| Managers, all other | $136,550 | 106,700 | +4.5% | 47% |
| Industrial production managers | $121,440 | 17,100 | +1.9% | 34% |
| Administrative services managers | $108,390 | 23,200 | +4.6% | 39% |
| Construction managers | $106,980 | 46,800 | +8.7% | 44% |
| Facilities managers | $104,690 | 13,200 | +3.8% | 48% |
| General and operations managers | $102,950 | 308,700 | +4.4% | 48% |