Psychology, General
Offered at 2,123 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 26 | $37,239 | $46,266 | $19,500 |
| Associate | 314 | $30,362 | $42,031 | $11,000 |
| Bachelor's | 1,330 | $37,312 | $53,293 | $24,000 |
| Master's | 311 | $53,435 | $71,331 | — |
| Doctoral | 114 | $75,860 | $97,029 | — |
| Professional | 4 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 24 | $67,556 | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $37,239, versus $37,312 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | $35,971 | $79,402 | $20,750 |
| 2 | Cabrillo College | CA | — | $46,266 | — |
| 3 | Michigan State University | MI | $41,200 | — | $19,500 |
| 4 | Northwestern Oklahoma State University | OK | $37,239 | — | $17,500 |
| 5 | East Mississippi Community College | MS | — | $27,433 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of Alameda | CA | — | $60,401 | — |
| 2 | Utah Valley University | UT | — | $57,990 | — |
| 3 | Skyline College | CA | — | $54,597 | — |
| 4 | Chabot College | CA | — | $54,563 | — |
| 5 | Napa Valley College | CA | — | $54,050 | — |
| 6 | City College of San Francisco | CA | — | $53,836 | — |
| 7 | College of San Mateo | CA | — | $53,759 | — |
| 8 | Gavilan College | CA | — | $53,704 | — |
| 9 | San Diego Mesa College | CA | $28,820 | $51,968 | $8,178 |
| 10 | Austin Community College District | TX | $33,059 | $51,410 | $15,635 |
| 11 | Los Medanos College | CA | — | $51,261 | — |
| 12 | Modesto Junior College | CA | $26,479 | $50,585 | $7,500 |
| 13 | Las Positas College | CA | — | $49,606 | — |
| 14 | College of Southern Nevada | NV | $38,948 | $49,560 | $8,500 |
| 15 | Riverside City College | CA | $25,105 | $49,313 | $8,889 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $54,429 | $96,953 | — |
| 2 | Dartmouth College | NH | — | $93,003 | — |
| 3 | Lehigh University | PA | $52,794 | $89,996 | $19,585 |
| 4 | Duke University | NC | — | $89,925 | — |
| 5 | Stanford University | CA | — | $88,953 | — |
| 6 | Washington University in St Louis | MO | — | $88,712 | — |
| 7 | Santa Clara University | CA | $40,079 | $88,047 | $15,500 |
| 8 | Cornell University | NY | $43,156 | $85,353 | $12,342 |
| 9 | Bucknell University | PA | $50,105 | $83,986 | $26,524 |
| 10 | Barnard College | NY | — | $82,680 | — |
| 11 | Northwestern University | IL | $44,829 | $82,516 | $15,000 |
| 12 | Boston College | MA | $46,725 | $81,674 | $18,476 |
| 13 | Georgetown University | DC | $47,774 | $80,681 | $12,500 |
| 14 | Gettysburg College | PA | — | $80,476 | — |
| 15 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $41,513 | $79,117 | $11,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | $95,112 | $118,736 | — |
| 2 | Drexel University | PA | — | $115,143 | — |
| 3 | George Mason University | VA | $70,735 | $106,414 | — |
| 4 | Xavier University | OH | — | $95,396 | — |
| 5 | California State University-Fresno | CA | $86,102 | $93,839 | — |
| 6 | Rutgers University-Camden | NJ | — | $93,055 | — |
| 7 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | — | $93,055 | — |
| 8 | Rutgers University-Newark | NJ | — | $93,055 | — |
| 9 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | CO | — | $92,604 | — |
| 10 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | PA | $66,610 | $90,700 | — |
| 11 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | — | $89,173 | — |
| 12 | Iona University | NY | $54,147 | $88,319 | — |
| 13 | Auburn University | AL | — | $88,036 | — |
| 14 | University of Connecticut | CT | — | $87,708 | — |
| 15 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus | CT | — | $87,708 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $71,056 | $154,562 | — |
| 2 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | — | $142,753 | — |
| 3 | George Mason University | VA | $96,993 | $137,462 | — |
| 4 | University of Missouri-St Louis | MO | — | $134,070 | — |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology | IL | $90,299 | $123,263 | — |
| 6 | Drexel University | PA | — | $122,297 | — |
| 7 | Wayne State University | MI | — | $122,137 | — |
| 8 | University of Georgia | GA | — | $121,135 | — |
| 9 | Claremont Graduate University | CA | $96,563 | $119,339 | — |
| 10 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | CO | $86,680 | $118,097 | — |
| 11 | University of South Florida | FL | — | $118,040 | — |
| 12 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | $79,329 | $117,636 | — |
| 13 | University of Central Florida | FL | $116,568 | — | — |
| 14 | Loma Linda University | CA | $83,403 | $114,401 | — |
| 15 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | — | $111,099 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | MA | $67,556 | $79,199 | — |
| 2 | Northcentral University | CA | $77,318 | — | — |
| 3 | Albizu University-San Juan | PR | $22,756 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do psychology, general graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in psychology, general reports median earnings of $37,312. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
