Psychology, General Degree

926 schools compared · Average earnings $31,706/yr

Students study human behavior, cognition, emotion, development, social influence, and mental health through both scientific research methods and theoretical frameworks. Graduates typically pursue careers in human resources, market research, social services, behavioral health, and corporate training, or continue to graduate programs in psychology, counseling, social work, or medicine. Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate majors, providing versatile skills for understanding and working with people.

What Psychology, General Graduates Do

Your psychology degree prepares you for two primary trajectories. The first path leads directly into the workforce, often beginning as a social science research assistant. In this role, you’re on the front lines of discovery: recruiting study participants, administering surveys, and cleaning data sets for analysis. With experience, your understanding of human behavior can propel you into management, where your days are spent guiding teams, resolving conflicts, and shaping company culture.

The second path requires graduate school to become a licensed professional. The fastest-growing option is clinical and counseling psychology, a career built on direct human connection. You’ll spend your days in therapy sessions, diagnosing conditions and helping clients navigate their mental health. While this clinical work has low AI exposure, other paths are changing. AI is automating many routine research tasks, shifting your value toward designing studies and interpreting AI-generated insights. For managers, AI will increasingly handle administrative work, freeing you to focus on the uniquely human skills of mentorship and strategic leadership.

Schools Offering
926
Avg Grad Earnings
$31,706/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
35/100
AI Automation Risk
High
54% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Psychology, General graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 125,000 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Managers, all other
$136,550
$100K$179K
106,700 +4.5% 47%
Psychologists, all other
$117,580
$74K$145K
3,900 +4.3% 44%
Industrial-organizational psychologists
$109,840
$81K$198K
400 +6.3% 49%
Clinical and counseling psychologists
$95,830
$67K$132K
4,800 +11.2% 37%
Psychology teachers, postsecondary
$80,330
$62K$107K
4,000 +3.6% 48%
Social science research assistants
$58,040
$46K$73K
5,200 +4.4% 67%
Managers, all other
$136,550
$100K $179K
106,700 openings/yr +4.5% growth 47% AI risk
Psychologists, all other
$117,580
$74K $145K
3,900 openings/yr +4.3% growth 44% AI risk
Industrial-organizational psychologists
$109,840
$81K $198K
400 openings/yr +6.3% growth 49% AI risk
Clinical and counseling psychologists
$95,830
$67K $132K
4,800 openings/yr +11.2% growth 37% AI risk
Psychology teachers, postsecondary
$80,330
$62K $107K
4,000 openings/yr +3.6% growth 48% AI risk
Social science research assistants
$58,040
$46K $73K
5,200 openings/yr +4.4% growth 67% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Psychology, General

Top 20 of 926 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of Maryland Global Campus
Adelphi, MD
57
53–58
$42,056/yr 16.6x
2 CUNY Graduate School and University Center
New York, NY
56
51–56
$48,299/yr 15.3x
3 Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA
55
50–55
$44,163/yr 7.8x
4 CUNY York College
Jamaica, NY
55
52–56
$38,701/yr 18.1x
5 California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA
55
53–56
$37,702/yr 19.5x
6 University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
54
52–54
$36,497/yr 18.4x
7 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY
54
52–55
$35,149/yr 19.7x
8 San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
53
51–54
$34,803/yr 19.3x
9 Charter Oak State College
New Britain, CT
52
48–53
$45,428/yr 12.4x
10 Nevada State University
Henderson, NV
52
49–53
$40,183/yr 17.3x
11 Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS
52
49–53
$40,009/yr 19.1x
12 CUNY Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, NY
52
48–52
$39,868/yr 15.5x
13 Miami University-Hamilton
Hamilton, OH
52
50–52
$36,190/yr 17.7x
14 Miami University-Middletown
Middletown, OH
52
50–52
$36,190/yr 17.7x
15 American Public University System
Charles Town, WV
51
48–52
$39,655/yr 13.9x
16 University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD
51
49–52
$35,933/yr 12.7x
17 Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
51
49–51
$33,694/yr 20.4x
18 The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX
50
46–51
$46,009/yr 9.9x
19 Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN
50
46–50
$40,958/yr 11.6x
20 Empire State University
Saratoga Springs, NY
50
47–51
$39,188/yr 14.6x

Highest Earning Psychology, General Programs

Schools where Psychology, General graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
Bentley University $62,218/yr 47
Georgetown University $51,959/yr 46
Bucknell University $51,645/yr 41
Gettysburg College $50,040/yr 43
Trinity College $48,406/yr 43
CUNY Graduate School and University Center $48,299/yr 56
The University of Texas Permian Basin $46,009/yr 50
Charter Oak State College $45,428/yr 52
Marian University $45,416/yr 44
Boston College $44,760/yr 44

Best ROI for Psychology, General

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Psychology, General.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
University of Florida-Online 35.8x $26,003/yr 47
Dine College 34.9x $20,227/yr 40
Dalton State College 28.9x $30,688/yr 42
University of North Carolina at Pembroke 28.9x $28,209/yr 42
College of Coastal Georgia 27.0x $30,532/yr 42
Brigham Young University-Idaho 26.2x $27,342/yr 44
Fayetteville State University 25.5x $31,217/yr 44
Florida State University 23.2x $30,140/yr 48
Florida Atlantic University 22.9x $30,765/yr 45
Western Carolina University 21.4x $27,505/yr 39
Want to compare two Psychology, General programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Psychology, General offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Psychology, General graduates earn?
Across 926 schools, Psychology, General graduates earn an average of $31,706 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $8,194 to $62,218 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Psychology, General?
Psychology, General is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 54% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Psychology, General program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Maryland Global Campus ranks #1 for Psychology, General with a score of 57/100 and graduate earnings of $42,056/yr.
What's the outlook for a Psychology, General degree?
On average, Psychology, General graduates earn 7.1x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →