Research and Experimental Psychology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 42.27. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 594 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 | 16 | 208 | $36,787 | Data unavailable | $33,782 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 6 | 31 | $38,299 | $50,417 | $30,149 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 233 | 19,130 | $38,319 | $55,695 | $20,500 130 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 169 | 2,304 | $54,238 | $63,216 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 134 | 970 | $76,364 | $103,410 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 34 | 170 | $55,712 | $64,095 | 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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park University MO · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $36,950 | $49,186 | $30,149 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $57,478 | $99,344 | $10,500 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 99 graduates measured | $57,188 | $86,946 | $31,117 |
| Trinity College CT · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $55,652 | Data unavailable | $21,500 |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 41 graduates measured | $54,924 | $70,167 | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 82 graduates measured | $52,659 | Data unavailable | $10,500 |
| Trinity Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $52,416 | $54,934 | Data unavailable |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 50 graduates measured | $51,811 | $73,483 | Data unavailable |
| Middlebury College VT · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $51,311 | Data unavailable | $15,166 |
| Colgate University NY · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $50,356 | Data unavailable | $9,500 |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $49,920 | $63,415 | $9,988 |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $49,784 | $79,571 | $17,250 |
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 87 graduates measured | $49,000 | $66,130 | $20,735 |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs MA · Private, nonprofit · 87 graduates measured | $49,000 | $66,130 | $20,735 |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $48,774 | Data unavailable | $9,500 |
| St. Francis College NY · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $47,934 | Data unavailable | $20,300 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State University KS · Public · 18 graduates measured | $82,906 | $74,638 | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $82,580 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 30 graduates measured | $77,959 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Montclair State University NJ · Public · 72 graduates measured | $61,297 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Hunter College NY · Public · 35 graduates measured | $60,186 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pace University NY · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $59,828 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Teachers College at Columbia University NY · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $59,468 | $73,440 | Data unavailable |
| Ball State University IN · Public · 23 graduates measured | $55,164 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $53,664 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Walden University MN · Private, for-profit · 89 graduates measured | $51,792 | $53,809 | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 30 graduates measured | $51,705 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 264 graduates measured | $51,440 | $82,490 | Data unavailable |
| Capella University MN · Private, for-profit · 177 graduates measured | $50,559 | $53,408 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Dallas TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $47,238 | $58,520 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville TN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $91,929 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pace University NY · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $91,120 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $81,836 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Riverside CA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $76,159 | $119,816 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 32 graduates measured | $73,534 | $101,916 | Data unavailable |
| University of Nevada-Reno NV · Public · 31 graduates measured | $72,382 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $69,843 | $106,855 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chicago School at Los Angeles CA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $60,038 | $53,677 | 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 Research and Experimental Psychology
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Statisticians | $105,650 | +11.0% | Master's degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | $98,920 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Life scientists, all other | $93,750 | +6.3% | Bachelor'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 |
| Child, family, and school social workers | $59,550 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Psychology teachers, postsecondary | $80,340 | +4.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | 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 (11)
- 42.2701 Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics
- 42.2702 Comparative Psychology
- 42.2703 Developmental and Child Psychology
- 42.2704 Experimental Psychology
- 42.2705 Personality Psychology
- 42.2706 Behavioral Neuroscience
- 42.2707 Social Psychology
- 42.2708 Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology
- 42.2709 Psychopharmacology
- 42.2710 Developmental and Adolescent Psychology
- 42.2799 Research and Experimental Psychology, Other