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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 77 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$196,474 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.

39.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−74%Estimated return after 10 years
$51,727Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$51,727 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$51,727Typical earnings four years after completion
$50,103Average earnings five years after completion
$27,000Typical federal student debt
27thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
555Degrees awarded in 2024–25
66College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 14 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology

How much do Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $51,727 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $27,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $46,060 to $58,869 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
Not available
Federal debt
$13,500
Programs in the comparison
1
0 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$41,767
Federal debt
$12,000
Programs in the comparison
3
2 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$51,727
Federal debt
$27,000
Programs in the comparison
77
66 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$72,081
Federal debt
$19,000
Programs in the comparison
4
4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$65,278
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
335
335 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$100,222
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
97
97 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$66,437
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
4
4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$75,818
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
26
26 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$66,974
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$46,060National median$51,72775th percentile$58,869
66 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$58,86975th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$27,000Median federal debt across programs that report it
8Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

$82,023 four years after completionPrescott, AZ · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

University of Chicago

$12,000 among completer borrowersChicago, IL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Florida Institute of Technology

363 reported awards in 2024–25Melbourne, FL · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$76,328Observed year-4 earnings$52,771
$3,203Annual college-wide average net price$40,287
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott$82,0232Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$82,0233Boston College$76,3284Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$75,5495CUNY Bernard M Baruch College$73,0076Los Angeles Pacific University$71,9357Pace University$67,8118Azusa Pacific University$66,4119Christian Brothers University$64,89710Western Michigan University$64,679

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary$80,340 median wage41,530 jobs nationwide+4.0% projected growth through 2035 · 3,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$49,050–$153,600 typical wage rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangePsychologists, All Other$110,840 median wage18,820 jobs nationwide+2.3% projected growth through 2035 · 3,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$54,990–$168,520 typical wage rangeClinical and Counseling Psychologists$100,580 median wage75,990 jobs nationwide+11.7% projected growth through 2035 · 4,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$55,170–$180,960 typical wage rangeSchool Psychologists$95,990 median wage63,940 jobs nationwide+0.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$63,070–$142,330 typical wage rangeIndustrial-Organizational Psychologists$193,950 median wage790 jobs nationwide+6.5% projected growth through 2035 · 300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$79,010–$247,220 typical wage rangeHuman Resources Managers$149,280 median wage220,660 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 16,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$88,200–$267,810 typical wage rangeTraining and Development Managers$133,000 median wage48,050 jobs nationwide+6.4% projected growth through 2035 · 4,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,550–$233,600 typical wage rangeManagement Analysts$101,860 median wage898,280 jobs nationwide+10.1% projected growth through 2035 · 94,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$60,640–$171,640 typical wage rangeHuman Resources Specialists$75,940 median wage912,430 jobs nationwide+6.4% projected growth through 2035 · 73,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$47,180–$128,720 typical wage rangeTraining and Development Specialists$69,280 median wage458,300 jobs nationwide+10.8% projected growth through 2035 · 46,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$38,760–$123,250 typical wage rangeEducational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330 median wage353,310 jobs nationwide+2.9% projected growth through 2035 · 27,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$45,020–$104,770 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Psychology, General

Year-4 earnings
$49,960
Federal debt
$25,716
1,139 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Research and Experimental Psychology

Year-4 earnings
$56,830
Federal debt
$21,814
111 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Psychology, Other

Year-4 earnings
$50,430
Federal debt
$16,473
13 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

NY7 programs$58,761 average earningsPA6 programs$56,383 average earningsCA6 programs$59,401 average earnings

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.