Austin Peay State University Psychology: earnings, debt & careers

Psychology graduates of Austin Peay State University earn a median $41,303 four years after graduating ($28,705 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $25,000. That is $8,665 below the U.S. median for Psychology graduates ($49,968 across 998 colleges), and ranks 20th of 25 Tennessee colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$41,303

U.S. median for this major: $49,968.

College Scorecard field of study; 108 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$28,705

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$25,000

About 61% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,490.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$9,735 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $22,233. College Scorecard.

Austin Peay State University Psychology: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Austin Peay State University graduates$41,303
Tennessee median (25 colleges)$45,700 (−$4,397)
U.S. median (998 colleges)$49,968 (−$8,665)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Psychology nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Austin Peay State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$7,588$33,8425.0 years
$30–48k$8,768$39,1055.8 years
$48–75k$10,077$44,9436.6 years
$75–110k$13,537$60,3758.9 years
$110k+$15,078$67,2489.9 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (27% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Psychology graduates 4 years after graduating ($41,303) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,785 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Psychology at Tennessee colleges

Every Tennessee college we cover that reports Psychology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Vanderbilt University$71,584$11,209$15,84694%
2The University of the South$58,715$17,148$27,87280%
3Fisk University$57,147$26,500$32,02030%
4Belmont University$52,172$18,500$33,14771%
5Christian Brothers University$50,180$27,000$9,85455%
6Trevecca Nazarene University$49,989$21,375$16,81353%
7The University of Tennessee-Knoxville$49,003$23,081$18,97674%
8Lipscomb University$47,933$25,062$24,73972%
9Bryan College-Dayton$47,549$23,880$20,61450%
10Milligan University$46,990—$21,36563%
11Tennessee State University$46,721$27,500$15,79634%
12Lee University$46,719$26,450$18,87863%
13University of Memphis$45,700$27,000$12,39751%
14The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga$44,700$21,898$14,26550%
15Union University$44,056$26,506$27,17166%
16Tennessee Technological University$44,043$13,750$14,24658%
17Middle Tennessee State University$43,826$22,000$13,35954%
18Cumberland University$42,713$22,437$18,75946%
19East Tennessee State University$42,358$17,976$15,98353%
20Austin Peay State University$41,303$25,000$9,73540%
21King University$40,796$24,875$22,34748%
22The University of Tennessee Southern$38,072$19,800$12,79837%
23Carson-Newman University$37,992$25,250$20,25153%
24Tusculum University$37,934$28,500$21,13125%
25The University of Tennessee-Martin$36,507$26,373$10,70153%

9 more Tennessee colleges offer Psychology but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Psychology graduates

Social Science Research Assistants

Tennessee$46,410
U.S.$61,990

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Austin Peay State University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Austin Peay State University

Related majors at Austin Peay State University

Austin Peay State University Psychology questions

How much do Austin Peay State University Psychology graduates earn?

Psychology graduates of Austin Peay State University earn a median $41,303 four years after graduating and $28,705 one year after. The U.S. median for Psychology graduates across 998 colleges is $49,968.

How much debt do Austin Peay State University Psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Psychology graduates of Austin Peay State University is $25,000, about 61% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,490.

Is Austin Peay State University a good school for Psychology in Tennessee?

On pay, Psychology graduates of Austin Peay State University earn $41,303 four years out, $4,397 below the median for the same major across 25 Tennessee colleges ($45,700) and $8,665 below the U.S. median ($49,968). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Austin Peay State University rank for Psychology in Tennessee?

Of 25 Tennessee colleges reporting Psychology graduate earnings, Austin Peay State University ranks 20th. The highest is Vanderbilt University at $71,584.

What jobs do Psychology graduates get?

A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $46,410 in Tennessee and $61,990 nationally.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Austin Peay State University Psychology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/austin-peay-state-university/majors/psychology (College Scorecard and BLS data).