U.S. median for this major: $49,968.
College Scorecard field of study; 33 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 59% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,490.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $55,875. College Scorecard.
Messiah University Psychology: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
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 Messiah University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,393 | $78,736 | 7.7 years |
| $30–48k | $20,317 | $82,487 | 8.1 years |
| $48–75k | $20,916 | $84,919 | 8.3 years |
| $75–110k | $23,574 | $95,710 | 9.4 years |
| $110k+ | $31,847 | $129,299 | 12.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (74% 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 ($45,982) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,185 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 Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Psychology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University | $82,433 | — | $31,944 | 94% |
| 2 | Lehigh University | $74,939 | $21,160 | $36,931 | 88% |
| 3 | Gettysburg College | $74,466 | $27,000 | $31,490 | 83% |
| 4 | Villanova University | $73,684 | $21,500 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 5 | Lafayette College | $73,435 | $16,000 | $34,433 | 88% |
| 6 | University of Pennsylvania | $73,012 | — | $28,699 | 97% |
| 7 | Misericordia University | $72,572 | $25,000 | $37,485 | 72% |
| 8 | Bucknell University | $66,206 | $27,000 | $40,766 | 86% |
| 9 | Saint Francis University | $66,010 | $27,000 | $23,526 | 74% |
| 10 | Drexel University | $63,287 | $30,000 | $38,509 | 78% |
| 11 | Haverford College | $63,040 | — | $25,314 | 90% |
| 12 | Widener University | $61,205 | $27,000 | $25,759 | 68% |
| 13 | Muhlenberg College | $60,778 | $26,312 | $28,905 | 82% |
| 14 | DeSales University | $60,001 | $27,000 | $31,643 | 72% |
| 15 | Dickinson College | $58,706 | $19,000 | $37,607 | 80% |
| 16 | Washington & Jefferson College | $57,026 | $27,000 | $25,002 | 70% |
| 17 | Chatham University | $56,980 | $21,853 | $29,954 | 63% |
| 18 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | $56,647 | $27,000 | $29,689 | 79% |
| 19 | Moravian University | $55,931 | $27,000 | $30,670 | 72% |
| 20 | Arcadia University | $55,517 | $27,000 | $29,466 | 67% |
| 21 | Thomas Jefferson University | $55,371 | — | $28,928 | 69% |
| 22 | Albright College | $55,100 | $26,500 | $20,024 | 51% |
| 23 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | $54,379 | $26,000 | $15,350 | 48% |
| 24 | University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | $54,379 | $26,000 | $17,945 | 40% |
| 25 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $54,379 | $26,000 | $18,202 | 56% |
| 26 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $54,379 | $26,000 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 27 | University of Scranton | $54,088 | $26,131 | $32,568 | 80% |
| 28 | York College of Pennsylvania | $53,927 | $27,000 | $18,556 | 64% |
| 29 | Westminster College | $52,339 | $26,000 | $19,859 | 65% |
| 30 | Alvernia University | $52,044 | — | $28,138 | 56% |
| 31 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | $51,607 | $26,000 | $23,726 | 56% |
| 32 | Ursinus College | $51,443 | $27,000 | $30,536 | 73% |
| 33 | Holy Family University | $51,374 | $27,000 | $13,143 | 61% |
| 34 | Saint Vincent College | $50,904 | $27,000 | $23,510 | 69% |
| 35 | Gwynedd Mercy University | $50,848 | $31,000 | $27,483 | 57% |
| 36 | Temple University | $50,582 | $26,000 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 37 | King's College | $50,244 | $27,000 | $23,093 | 60% |
| 38 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $49,543 | $27,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 39 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington | $49,543 | $27,000 | $18,305 | 28% |
| 40 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre | $49,543 | $27,000 | $16,448 | 23% |
| 41 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | $49,543 | $27,000 | $17,910 | 39% |
| 42 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley | $49,543 | $27,000 | $18,220 | 18% |
| 43 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | $49,543 | $27,000 | $22,213 | 17% |
| 44 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | $49,543 | $27,000 | $17,418 | 22% |
| 45 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | $49,543 | $27,000 | $24,356 | 32% |
| 46 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $49,543 | $27,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 47 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | $49,543 | $27,000 | $22,585 | 26% |
| 48 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBoisbachelor's & associate | $49,543 | $27,000 | $17,428 | 34% |
| 49 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly | $49,543 | $27,000 | $14,596 | 39% |
| 50 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | $49,543 | $27,000 | $17,597 | 26% |
| 51 | Pennsylvania State University | $49,543 | $27,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 52 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | $49,543 | $27,000 | $15,521 | 19% |
| 53 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | $49,543 | $27,000 | $19,454 | 34% |
| 54 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | $49,543 | $27,000 | $19,659 | 32% |
| 55 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York | $49,543 | $27,000 | $19,047 | 16% |
| 56 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | $49,374 | $25,000 | $20,787 | 58% |
| 57 | La Salle University | $49,216 | $27,000 | $19,409 | 57% |
| 58 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | $49,137 | $27,000 | $15,699 | 54% |
| 59 | Lycoming College | $49,081 | $27,000 | $19,140 | 60% |
| 60 | Allegheny College | $48,890 | $27,000 | $22,940 | 73% |
| 61 | Duquesne University | $48,850 | $26,294 | $37,730 | 77% |
| 62 | Waynesburg University | $48,163 | $27,000 | $18,235 | 66% |
| 63 | Wilkes University | $48,033 | $26,000 | $27,743 | 63% |
| 64 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | $47,654 | $26,960 | $19,608 | 66% |
| 65 | Chestnut Hill College | $47,591 | $27,166 | $27,970 | 49% |
| 66 | Eastern University | $47,539 | $26,000 | $26,662 | 54% |
| 67 | Susquehanna University | $47,367 | $27,000 | $28,819 | 82% |
| 68 | Elizabethtown College | $47,359 | $27,000 | $26,598 | 76% |
| 69 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | $46,912 | $27,000 | $18,134 | 43% |
| 70 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | $46,253 | $27,000 | $21,331 | 54% |
| 71 | Robert Morris University | $46,025 | $27,000 | $23,003 | 66% |
| 72 | Messiah University | $45,982 | $27,000 | $26,502 | 75% |
| 73 | Pennsylvania Western University | $45,903 | $26,500 | $18,256 | 52% |
| 74 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $45,420 | $27,000 | $16,804 | 56% |
| 75 | Marywood University | $45,088 | $27,000 | $23,388 | 72% |
| 76 | Geneva College | $44,857 | $24,125 | $25,890 | 61% |
| 77 | Carlow University | $44,786 | $29,552 | $20,786 | 60% |
| 78 | La Roche University | $44,709 | $27,000 | $20,794 | 57% |
| 79 | Mercyhurst University | $43,694 | $26,000 | $19,444 | 60% |
| 80 | Thiel College | $43,457 | $27,000 | $22,347 | 49% |
| 81 | Seton Hill University | $43,426 | $27,000 | $22,204 | 67% |
| 82 | Lebanon Valley College | $42,874 | $27,000 | $26,979 | 65% |
| 83 | Neumann University | $40,632 | $35,000 | $27,804 | 54% |
| 84 | University of Valley Forge | $40,155 | $27,903 | $32,265 | 49% |
| 85 | Cairn University-Langhorne | $36,295 | — | $27,642 | 60% |
18 more Pennsylvania colleges offer Psychology but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Psychology graduates
Social Science Research Assistants
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 Messiah University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Messiah University
- Acceptance rate: 79% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 75% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $54,064
- Full cost breakdown · all 62 majors · overview
Related majors at Messiah University
- Sociology—
- Social Work$52,511
Messiah University Psychology questions
How much do Messiah University Psychology graduates earn?
Psychology graduates of Messiah University earn a median $45,982 four years after graduating and $31,131 one year after. The U.S. median for Psychology graduates across 998 colleges is $49,968.
How much debt do Messiah University Psychology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Psychology graduates of Messiah University is $27,000, about 59% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,490.
Is Messiah University a good school for Psychology in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Psychology graduates of Messiah University earn $45,982 four years out, $3,561 below the median for the same major across 86 Pennsylvania colleges ($49,543) and $3,986 below the U.S. median ($49,968). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Messiah University rank for Psychology in Pennsylvania?
Of 85 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Psychology graduate earnings, Messiah University ranks 72nd; among the 84 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 71st. The highest is Carnegie Mellon University at $82,433.
What jobs do Psychology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $50,450 in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA area 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Messiah University Psychology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/messiah-university/majors/psychology (College Scorecard and BLS data).