Western Kentucky University: Research and Experimental Psychology

Bachelor's degree · CIP 42.27 · No credentials fully online · Bowling Green, KY

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $34,133 one year after completing. The median federal loan debt of graduates was $19,875. Nationally, graduates of bachelor's degree programs in this field earned a median of $38,319 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$34,133
36 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Median federal debt
$19,875
48 borrowers Verified data
Debt to first-year earnings
0.58x
median debt / median earnings Calculated estimate

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$34,133$38,319
Median earnings 4 years after completionSuppressed for privacy$55,695
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)$19,875$20,500 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)$226
Graduates in the most recent year3719,130 across 233 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

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.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

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.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Dartmouth College
NH · Private, nonprofit
$57,478$10,500
Columbia University in the City of New York
NY · Private, nonprofit
$57,188$31,117
Trinity College
CT · Private, nonprofit
$55,652$21,500
Harvard University
MA · Private, nonprofit
$54,924Data unavailable
Duke University
NC · Private, nonprofit
$52,659$10,500
Trinity Washington University
DC · Private, nonprofit
$52,416Data unavailable
University of Chicago
IL · Private, nonprofit
$51,811Data unavailable
Middlebury College
VT · Private, nonprofit
$51,311$15,166
Colgate University
NY · Private, nonprofit
$50,356$9,500
Brown University
RI · Private, nonprofit
$49,920$9,988

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Western Kentucky University Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence