Best Schools for Psychology, General

Psychology, General graduates earn a median of $50,414 within four years of graduating, ranking #234 out of 283 tracked majors — 19% below the median across all fields. There are 1102 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 120,502 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Georgetown University graduates earn $99,007 while Universidad Central de Bayamon graduates earn $18,428 — a $80,579 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.

Early career salary growth is modest: Psychology, General graduates see an average 3% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

1102
Schools
$50,414
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#234
of 283 Majors
120,502
Graduates

Public vs Private: Psychology, General

Public (476 schools)
$49,185
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (624 schools)
$52,020
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $2,835 more in early earnings on average for Psychology, General graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Psychology, General by State

Also by state: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Top Psychology, General Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
Georgetown University logo

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private

$99,007
4yr Earnings
51 grads
2yr: $39,585 (54)
1yr: $45,936 (46)
Acceptance: 13.1%
#2
Washington University in St Louis logo

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO · Private

$91,787
4yr Earnings
33 grads
2yr: $26,353 (34)
1yr: $36,104 (57)
Acceptance: 12.0%
#3
Dartmouth College logo

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH · Private

$86,896
4yr Earnings
17 grads · small sample
2yr: $35,600 (38)
1yr: $45,057 (37)
Acceptance: 6.2%
#4
Carnegie Mellon University logo

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA · Private

$82,433
4yr Earnings
23 grads · small sample
2yr: $29,685 (31)
1yr: $45,925 (22)
Acceptance: 11.4%
#5
George Washington University logo

George Washington University

Washington, DC · Private

$79,187
4yr Earnings
52 grads
2yr: $40,068 (67)
1yr: $37,208 (85)
Acceptance: 43.5%
#6
Cornell University logo

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$78,049
4yr Earnings
39 grads
2yr: $44,747 (48)
1yr: $36,163 (44)
Acceptance: 8.2%
#7
Santa Clara University logo

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

$75,742
4yr Earnings
64 grads
2yr: $31,133 (60)
1yr: $50,081 (57)
Acceptance: 43.8%
#8
Virginia Military Institute logo

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA · Public

$75,059
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $38,649 (29)
1yr: $38,487 (27)
Acceptance: 81.7%
#9
Lehigh University logo

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA · Private

$74,939
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $42,682 (29)
Acceptance: 29.3%
#10
Gettysburg College logo

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA · Private

$74,466
4yr Earnings
32 grads
2yr: $36,560 (29)
1yr: $38,919 (42)
Acceptance: 47.5%
#11
University of San Diego logo

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA · Private

$74,178
4yr Earnings
59 grads
2yr: $29,685 (43)
1yr: $35,181 (62)
Acceptance: 46.8%
#12
College of the Holy Cross logo

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA · Private

$74,095
4yr Earnings
85 grads
2yr: $37,856 (88)
1yr: $37,609 (93)
Acceptance: 21.1%
#13
Villanova University logo

Villanova University

Villanova, PA · Private

$73,684
4yr Earnings
63 grads
2yr: $32,925 (32)
1yr: $39,267 (51)
Acceptance: 25.1%
#14
Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private

$73,646
4yr Earnings
79 grads
2yr: $38,048 (91)
1yr: $34,751 (106)
Acceptance: 7.1%
#15
Lafayette College logo

Lafayette College

Easton, PA · Private

$73,435
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $44,170 (31)
Acceptance: 31.5%
#16
Clarkson University logo

Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY · Private

$73,359
4yr Earnings
18 grads · small sample
2yr: $25,194 (16)
Acceptance: 77.2%
#17
Duke University logo

Duke University

Durham, NC · Private

$73,359
4yr Earnings
58 grads
2yr: $37,208 (72)
1yr: $42,110 (53)
Acceptance: 6.8%
#18
University of Pennsylvania logo

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA · Private

$73,012
4yr Earnings
18 grads · small sample
2yr: $35,327 (45)
1yr: $34,472 (38)
Acceptance: 5.9%
#19
Williams College logo

Williams College

Williamstown, MA · Private

$72,891
4yr Earnings
22 grads · small sample
2yr: $34,704 (45)
1yr: $40,760 (30)
Acceptance: 10.0%
#20
Misericordia University logo

Misericordia University

Dallas, PA · Private

$72,572
4yr Earnings
23 grads · small sample
2yr: $26,353 (14)
Acceptance: 84.9%
#21
Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private

$72,136
4yr Earnings
19 grads · small sample
2yr: $28,055 (51)
1yr: $39,687 (38)
Acceptance: 61.2%
#22
Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN · Private

$71,584
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $31,305 (35)
1yr: $28,292 (40)
Acceptance: 6.3%
#23
University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$70,461
4yr Earnings
126 grads
2yr: $35,594 (122)
1yr: $34,924 (114)
Acceptance: 10.0%
#24
Fairfield University logo

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT · Private

$70,211
4yr Earnings
64 grads
2yr: $34,908 (52)
1yr: $31,305 (50)
Acceptance: 45.0%
#25
Saint Mary's College of California logo

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA · Private

$70,123
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $26,739 (28)
1yr: $29,907 (29)
Acceptance: 88.6%
#26
Boston College logo

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Private

$70,033
4yr Earnings
95 grads
2yr: $42,682 (109)
1yr: $37,262 (95)
Acceptance: 15.7%
#27
Elon University logo

Elon University

Elon, NC · Private

$69,856
4yr Earnings
58 grads
2yr: $23,649 (42)
1yr: $44,439 (21)
Acceptance: 67.3%
#28
University of Notre Dame logo

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN · Private

$69,793
4yr Earnings
46 grads
2yr: $34,298 (94)
1yr: $38,685 (48)
Acceptance: 12.4%
#29
Trinity College logo

Trinity College

Hartford, CT · Private

$69,730
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $43,798 (14)
1yr: $32,400 (46)
Acceptance: 33.5%
#30
Binghamton University logo

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY · Public

$67,249
4yr Earnings
224 grads
2yr: $36,488 (162)
1yr: $30,317 (197)
Acceptance: 37.7%
#31
National University logo

National University

San Diego, CA · Private

$66,849
4yr Earnings
142 grads
2yr: $39,969 (101)
1yr: $36,571 (110)
Acceptance: N/A
#32
Bucknell University logo

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA · Private

$66,206
4yr Earnings
36 grads
2yr: $38,289 (42)
1yr: $38,460 (40)
Acceptance: 32.0%
#33
Saint Francis University logo

Saint Francis University

Loretto, PA · Private

$66,010
4yr Earnings
27 grads · small sample
Acceptance: 76.9%
#34
Drew University logo

Drew University

Madison, NJ · Private

$65,997
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $29,685 (30)
1yr: $24,484 (30)
Acceptance: 69.4%
#35
Bates College logo

Bates College

Lewiston, ME · Private

$65,926
4yr Earnings
16 grads · small sample
2yr: $25,194 (22)
1yr: $39,657 (36)
Acceptance: 13.0%
#36
Syracuse University logo

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY · Private

$65,694
4yr Earnings
200 grads
2yr: $31,495 (78)
1yr: $32,210 (192)
Acceptance: 41.7%
#37
Texas Christian University logo

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX · Private

$65,356
4yr Earnings
63 grads
2yr: $28,327 (38)
1yr: $34,406 (52)
Acceptance: 42.6%
#38
Hood College logo

Hood College

Frederick, MD · Private

$65,110
4yr Earnings
20 grads · small sample
2yr: $21,234 (27)
1yr: $32,281 (20)
Acceptance: 78.1%
#39
Baylor University logo

Baylor University

Waco, TX · Private

$65,090
4yr Earnings
85 grads
2yr: $24,679 (80)
1yr: $24,478 (86)
Acceptance: 51.0%
#40
University of San Francisco logo

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA · Private

$65,071
4yr Earnings
104 grads
2yr: $35,653 (81)
1yr: $31,146 (125)
Acceptance: 50.8%
#41
Wake Forest University logo

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC · Private

$64,814
4yr Earnings
54 grads
2yr: $29,685 (43)
1yr: $26,694 (45)
Acceptance: 21.6%
#42
Manhattan University logo

Manhattan University

Riverdale, NY · Private

$64,684
4yr Earnings
35 grads
2yr: $29,141 (37)
1yr: $29,067 (36)
Acceptance: 78.5%
#43
CUNY Graduate School and University Center logo

CUNY Graduate School and University Center

New York, NY · Public

$64,619
4yr Earnings
55 grads
2yr: $31,314 (17)
1yr: $41,124 (34)
Acceptance: 38.6%
#44
University of Richmond logo

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA · Private

$64,584
4yr Earnings
33 grads
2yr: $40,281 (18)
Acceptance: 23.3%
#45
Bradley University logo

Bradley University

Peoria, IL · Private

$64,378
4yr Earnings
33 grads
2yr: $30,988 (42)
1yr: $33,158 (37)
Acceptance: 76.7%
#46
Azusa Pacific University logo

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA · Private

$63,963
4yr Earnings
52 grads
2yr: $26,558 (149)
1yr: $24,748 (160)
Acceptance: 79.5%
#47
Stonehill College logo

Stonehill College

Easton, MA · Private

$63,957
4yr Earnings
76 grads
2yr: $35,964 (90)
1yr: $36,955 (82)
Acceptance: 72.6%
#48
Manhattanville University logo

Manhattanville University

Purchase, NY · Private

$63,908
4yr Earnings
48 grads
2yr: $32,925 (35)
1yr: $29,290 (42)
Acceptance: 84.7%
#49
Notre Dame de Namur University logo

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA · Private

$63,847
4yr Earnings
31 grads
2yr: $30,228 (27)
1yr: $33,420 (28)
Acceptance: N/A
#50
Boston University logo

Boston University

Boston, MA · Private

$63,838
4yr Earnings
127 grads
2yr: $34,348 (154)
1yr: $36,705 (149)
Acceptance: 10.8%

Showing top 50 of 1102 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Psychology, General?
Georgetown University ranks #1 for Psychology, General with median graduate earnings of $99,007 within four years of graduating. There are 1102 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Psychology, General graduates earn?
Psychology, General graduates earn an average of $50,414 within four years of graduating. This is 19% below the median across all majors. Earnings range from $18,428 to $99,007 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Psychology, General program?
The average acceptance rate across Psychology, General programs is 72.9%. The most selective program is at Stanford University with a 3.9% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Psychology, General?
Private Psychology, General programs average $52,020 in early earnings vs $49,185 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.

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