Psychology, General: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 42.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 2,548 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 59 | 402 | $39,736 | $45,285 | $19,500 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 362 | 18,782 | $30,994 | $39,288 | $11,000 79 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,471 | 118,927 | $37,251 | $50,706 | $24,000 1049 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 8 | 0 | $49,915 | $54,198 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 423 | 6,999 | $53,158 | $64,711 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 164 | 1,548 | $76,909 | $98,707 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 12 | 199 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 49 | 221 | $59,816 | $62,083 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 30 graduates measured | $41,200 | Data unavailable | $19,500 |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State University OK · Public · 18 graduates measured | $37,239 | Data unavailable | $17,500 |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 33 graduates measured | $35,971 | Data unavailable | $20,750 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $41,026 | $49,853 | $12,000 |
| University of Cincinnati-Clermont College OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $41,026 | $49,853 | $12,000 |
| University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $41,026 | $49,853 | $12,000 |
| Northern Virginia Community College VA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $40,523 | Data unavailable | $8,750 |
| Mt San Antonio College CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $39,291 | $40,348 | $9,125 |
| College of Southern Nevada NV · Public · 47 graduates measured | $38,948 | $37,489 | $8,500 |
| Bunker Hill Community College MA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $38,238 | $40,918 | $7,968 |
| Community College of Philadelphia PA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $37,130 | $41,375 | $17,500 |
| Salt Lake Community College UT · Public · 52 graduates measured | $36,293 | $38,455 | $9,251 |
| Montgomery County Community College PA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $34,850 | Data unavailable | $12,500 |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 74 graduates measured | $34,760 | $37,200 | $28,929 |
| Tulsa Community College OK · Public · 21 graduates measured | $34,123 | Data unavailable | $14,333 |
| Connecticut State Community College CT · Public · 32 graduates measured | $33,735 | $35,527 | $9,625 |
| Amarillo College TX · Public · 39 graduates measured | $33,652 | $37,684 | $17,249 |
| Central New Mexico Community College NM · Public · 30 graduates measured | $33,533 | $42,666 | $11,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 73 graduates measured | $73,721 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Colby College ME · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $72,365 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Williams College MA · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $57,503 | $72,891 | Data unavailable |
| Charter Oak State College CT · Public · 36 graduates measured | $55,098 | $52,803 | $30,062 |
| Carnegie Mellon University PA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $54,429 | $82,433 | Data unavailable |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $53,775 | $69,793 | $19,000 |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $53,527 | $72,136 | $20,000 |
| Lehigh University PA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $52,794 | $74,939 | $19,585 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 70 graduates measured | $51,486 | $64,619 | $14,499 |
| National University CA · Private, nonprofit · 115 graduates measured | $50,504 | $66,849 | $30,623 |
| Bucknell University PA · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $50,105 | $66,206 | $26,524 |
| Rice University TX · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $49,861 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks AK · Public · 23 graduates measured | $49,800 | $43,764 | $25,574 |
| The Catholic University of America DC · Private, nonprofit · 65 graduates measured | $49,511 | $52,846 | $25,804 |
| Pacific Lutheran University WA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $48,724 | $55,118 | $18,517 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $95,112 | $101,785 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $86,102 | $90,681 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga TN · Public · 30 graduates measured | $73,839 | $91,747 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 60 graduates measured | $71,955 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 35 graduates measured | $70,735 | $102,945 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts Global CA · Public · 103 graduates measured | $68,644 | $73,213 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville IL · Public · 16 graduates measured | $68,368 | $70,882 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $67,737 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $66,610 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Utah State University UT · Public · 91 graduates measured | $65,371 | $69,115 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Chico CA · Public · 45 graduates measured | $65,304 | $75,000 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Arlington TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $64,507 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| National University CA · Private, nonprofit · 84 graduates measured | $61,132 | $71,001 | Data unavailable |
| Touro University Worldwide CA · Private, nonprofit · 94 graduates measured | $60,880 | $65,760 | Data unavailable |
| Middle Tennessee State University TN · Public · 34 graduates measured | $60,738 | $81,371 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Florida FL · Public · 20 graduates measured | $116,568 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 17 graduates measured | $101,191 | $109,867 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $96,993 | $128,100 | Data unavailable |
| Claremont Graduate University CA · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $96,563 | $118,456 | Data unavailable |
| Illinois Institute of Technology IL · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $90,299 | $115,482 | Data unavailable |
| Grand Canyon University AZ · Private, for-profit · 278 graduates measured | $88,310 | $94,079 | Data unavailable |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 18 graduates measured | $86,680 | $144,730 | Data unavailable |
| Loma Linda University CA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $83,403 | $110,256 | Data unavailable |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College LA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $79,351 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Chatham University PA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $79,330 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 30 graduates measured | $79,329 | $95,873 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Alabama AL · Public · 18 graduates measured | $78,394 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 68 graduates measured | $78,386 | $95,771 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-Newark NJ · Public · 68 graduates measured | $78,386 | $95,771 | Data unavailable |
| Northcentral University CA · Private, nonprofit · 93 graduates measured | $78,069 | $85,657 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northcentral University CA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $77,318 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $67,556 | $65,990 | Data unavailable |
| Albizu University-San Juan PR · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $22,756 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Psychology, General
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial-organizational psychologists | $193,950 | +6.5% | Master's degree |
| Clinical and counseling psychologists | $100,580 | +11.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Psychologists, all other | $110,840 | +2.3% | Master's degree |
| Social science research assistants | $61,990 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Psychology teachers, postsecondary | $80,340 | +4.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 42.0101 Psychology, General