COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · IRVINE, CA

Is University of California-Irvine worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A University of California-Irvine degree clears +$367K in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Irvine, California, priced as a California resident — earnings rolled up from 51 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$367K
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$53,796
Breaks even by age
—
Annual tuition · California resident
$14,237
Annual tuition · out-of-state
$45,014
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$130,640
FREOPP program coverage
51 programs
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

University of California-Irvine runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and California’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 51 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is University of California-Irvine worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: University of California-Irvine clears +$367K in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $130,640 and median earnings of $53,796 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at University of California-Irvine?
University of California-Irvine's annual sticker tuition is $14,237 for California residents and $45,014 for out-of-state students, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $130,640 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of University of California-Irvine?
Over 4 years, University of California-Irvine's sticker cost of attendance is $130,640 — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at California prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $53,796.
What is out-of-state tuition at University of California-Irvine?
Non-resident annual sticker tuition at University of California-Irvine is $45,014, versus $14,237 for California residents — a premium of $30,777 a year.
How long until a University of California-Irvine degree pays for itself?
Under our defaults the degree path finishes +$367K ahead at the 30-year horizon; the year-by-year crossover depends on your loan share and time horizon — run your own assumptions on the calculator.
What could change the number for University of California-Irvine?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices University of California-Irvine as a California resident — non-resident tuition is a different trade (see the out-of-state tax in California). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is University of California-Irvine worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/university-of-california-irvine