Psychologyat University of California-Los Angeles
Graduates earn $30,614/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Psychology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $657K; scenarios range from $582K to $672K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UCLA
Your UCLA psychology degree equips you with valuable analytical, research, and human behavior insights, skills highly sought across diverse sectors. However, many general psychology graduates initially enter roles that don't immediately reflect the university's prestige or the eventual earning potential of specialized psychology careers. Think roles in HR, marketing analytics, social services, or education, where the foundational understanding of human interaction is crucial. The Los Angeles job market is competitive but offers vast opportunities, particularly in tech (UX research, talent management), healthcare, and entertainment, if you strategically leverage your skills. The perceived automation risk often applies to more administrative or data-centric tasks rather than the nuanced interpersonal skills you develop. To maximize your outcome, actively seek internships in your desired industry and consider how further specialization, perhaps through a master's or PhD, aligns with your long-term career aspirations.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UCLA's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Psychology
How UCLA stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UCLA
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UCLA, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Psychology offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Psychology trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Psychology at UCLA
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Psychology at University of California-Los Angeles?
A score of 45/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Psychology. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Psychology careers?
With 49% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $581,984 in decade earnings vs $672,049 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.