BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Research and Experimental Psychology worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 111 college programs with reportable data.

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

−$147,994 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.

22.5 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−56%Estimated return after 10 years
$56,830Observed 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$56,830 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

$56,830Typical earnings four years after completion
$55,443Average earnings five years after completion
$21,814Typical federal student debt
39thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
20Degrees awarded in 2024–25
82College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 5 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Research and Experimental Psychology

How much do Research and Experimental Psychology bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $56,830 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 $21,814. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Research and Experimental Psychology?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $49,872 to $65,644 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Research and Experimental Psychology?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 11 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

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$49,186
Federal debt
$21,320
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$56,830
Federal debt
$21,814
Programs in the comparison
111
82 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$62,661
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
13
13 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$104,386
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
6
6 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$53,677
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$49,872National median$56,83075th percentile$65,644
82 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$65,64475th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$21,814Median federal debt across programs that report it
9Programs 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

Dartmouth College

$99,344 four years after completionHanover, NH · inspect the full program →
Lowest reported federal debt

Amherst College

$10,800 among completer borrowersAmherst, MA · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

761 reported awards in 2024–25Ann Arbor, MI · 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.

$83,012Observed year-4 earnings$63,216
$10,875Annual college-wide average net price$37,050
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.

1Dartmouth College$99,3442Columbia University in the City of New York$86,9463Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus$83,0124University of Connecticut$80,8735University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$80,8736University of Connecticut-Avery Point$80,8737University of Connecticut-Stamford$80,8738University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus$80,8739Tufts University$79,57110Washington University in St Louis$75,261

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.

Managers, 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 rangePsychology 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 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 rangeChild, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550 median wage392,550 jobs nationwide+4.4% projected growth through 2035 · 33,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$42,280–$95,530 typical wage rangeHealth Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$107,310 median wage221,270 jobs nationwide+17.9% projected growth through 2035 · 24,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$59,270–$322,020 typical wage rangeStatisticians$105,650 median wage29,030 jobs nationwide+11.0% projected growth through 2035 · 1,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$64,000–$174,050 typical wage rangeMedical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410 median wage172,340 jobs nationwide+12.6% projected growth through 2035 · 10,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$64,800–$177,780 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 rangeBiological Scientists, All Other$98,920 median wage55,850 jobs nationwide+4.7% projected growth through 2035 · 4,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$60,430–$168,010 typical wage rangeLife Scientists, All Other$93,750 median wage7,460 jobs nationwide+6.3% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$58,670–$186,260 typical wage rangeSocial Science Research Assistants$61,990 median wage30,640 jobs nationwide+5.0% projected growth through 2035 · 4,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$38,090–$102,070 typical wage range

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

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.