Psychology, General: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Psychology, General graduates earn a median $50,706 four years after finishing — $2,346/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 28.8 years. Federal data pools 1,084 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 111,960 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Psychology, General ranks #159 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 22% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University | DC | $99,007 |
| 2 | Washington University in St Louis | MO | $91,787 |
| 3 | Dartmouth College | NH | $86,896 |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $82,433 |
| 5 | George Washington University | DC | $79,187 |
| 6 | Cornell University | NY | $78,049 |
| 7 | Santa Clara University | CA | $75,742 |
| 8 | Virginia Military Institute | VA | $75,059 |
| 9 | Lehigh University | PA | $74,939 |
| 10 | Gettysburg College | PA | $74,466 |
| 11 | University of San Diego | CA | $74,178 |
| 12 | College of the Holy Cross | MA | $74,095 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.