Psychology, General: is this doctoral degree worth it?
National picture across 39 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$96,534 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$96,534Median year-4 earnings
$18,369Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$96,534Median reported earnings · year 4
$95,349Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
40thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
39Reporting programs
39With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $47,847
- Federal debt
- $22,255
- Reporting programs
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $38,612
- Federal debt
- $11,198
- Reporting programs
- 124
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,960
- Federal debt
- $25,716
- Reporting programs
- 1,139
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $67,973
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 92
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $96,534
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 39
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $65,990
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,763
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
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$87,501National median$96,53475th percentile$110,256
39 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Colorado State University-Fort Collins$144,7302Indiana University-Bloomington$131,2903George Mason University$128,1004North Carolina State University at Raleigh$120,9825Wayne State University$120,9016Claremont Graduate University$118,4567University of Georgia$115,8258Illinois Institute of Technology$115,4829University of South Florida$113,60610Drexel University$111,849Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsSOC 19-3033 · 1 crosswalk linksIndustrial-Organizational PsychologistsSOC 19-3032 · 1 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 1 crosswalk linksPsychologists, All OtherSOC 19-3039 · 1 crosswalk linksPsychology Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1066 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsDoctoral Degree | Fort Collins, CO | $144,730 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,279 |
| 2 | Indiana University-BloomingtonDoctoral Degree | Bloomington, IN | $131,290 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,264 |
| 3 | George Mason UniversityDoctoral Degree | Fairfax, VA | $128,100 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,915 |
| 4 | North Carolina State University at RaleighDoctoral Degree | Raleigh, NC | $120,982 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,303 |
| 5 | Wayne State UniversityDoctoral Degree | Detroit, MI | $120,901 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,766 |
| 6 | Claremont Graduate UniversityDoctoral Degree | Claremont, CA | $118,456 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 7 | University of GeorgiaDoctoral Degree | Athens, GA | $115,825 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,936 |
| 8 | Illinois Institute of TechnologyDoctoral Degree | Chicago, IL | $115,482 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,425 |
| 9 | University of South FloridaDoctoral Degree | Tampa, FL | $113,606 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,812 |
| 10 | Drexel UniversityDoctoral Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $111,849 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,509 |
| 11 | Loma Linda UniversityDoctoral Degree | Loma Linda, CA | $110,256 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 12 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionDoctoral Degree | Tempe, AZ | $109,867 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 13 | University of VermontDoctoral Degree | Burlington, VT | $109,295 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,343 |
| 14 | University of Illinois ChicagoDoctoral Degree | Chicago, IL | $109,281 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,974 |
| 15 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleDoctoral Degree | Knoxville, TN | $108,390 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,976 |
| 16 | University of Southern MississippiDoctoral Degree | Hattiesburg, MS | $105,702 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,708 |
| 17 | University of FloridaDoctoral Degree | Gainesville, FL | $103,154 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,541 |
| 18 | University of California, Los AngelesDoctoral Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $100,014 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,548 |
| 19 | Florida State UniversityDoctoral Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $99,239 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,297 |
| 20 | University of Nebraska-LincolnDoctoral Degree | Lincoln, NE | $96,534 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,747 |
| 21 | CUNY Graduate School and University CenterDoctoral Degree | New York, NY | $95,873 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 22 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickDoctoral Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $95,771 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,406 |
| 23 | Rutgers University-NewarkDoctoral Degree | Newark, NJ | $95,771 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,703 |
| 24 | University of ConnecticutDoctoral Degree | Storrs, CT | $94,835 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,097 |
| 25 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusDoctoral Degree | Waterbury, CT | $94,835 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,875 |
| 26 | University of Connecticut-Avery PointDoctoral Degree | Groton, CT | $94,835 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,807 |
| 27 | University of Connecticut-StamfordDoctoral Degree | Stamford, CT | $94,835 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,798 |
| 28 | University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusDoctoral Degree | Hartford, CT | $94,835 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,403 |
| 29 | Grand Canyon UniversityDoctoral Degree | Phoenix, AZ | $94,079 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,472 |
| 30 | Miami University-OxfordDoctoral Degree | Oxford, OH | $87,501 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,384 |
| 31 | Northern Illinois UniversityDoctoral Degree | Dekalb, IL | $85,719 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,391 |
| 32 | Northcentral UniversityDoctoral Degree | San Diego, CA | $85,657 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 33 | University of Alabama at BirminghamDoctoral Degree | Birmingham, AL | $85,091 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,749 |
| 34 | Bowling Green State University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree | Bowling Green, OH | $82,522 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,022 |
| 35 | Capella UniversityDoctoral Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $82,098 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,956 |
| 36 | Walden UniversityDoctoral Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $80,203 | Not available | Baseline needed | $33,817 |
| 37 | Northwestern UniversityDoctoral Degree | Evanston, IL | $71,819 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,167 |
| 38 | Saybrook UniversityDoctoral Degree | Pasadena, CA | $54,416 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 39 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasDoctoral Degree | San Juan, PR | $47,470 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,175 |
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.