U.S. median for this major: $49,968.
College Scorecard field of study; 89 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 57% 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 $15,571. College Scorecard.
PNW 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 PNW'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 | $1,432 | $6,387 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $2,428 | $10,829 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $7,026 | $31,336 | 4.6 years |
| $75–110k | $12,452 | $55,536 | 8.2 years |
| $110k+ | $13,645 | $60,857 | 9.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% 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 ($42,322) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,788 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 Indiana colleges
Every Indiana 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 | University of Notre Dame | $69,793 | $19,015 | $26,780 | 95% |
| 2 | Hanover College | $59,512 | $27,000 | $21,829 | 67% |
| 3 | Saint Mary's College | $58,218 | $27,000 | $25,292 | 69% |
| 4 | Valparaiso University | $58,104 | $27,000 | $18,578 | 70% |
| 5 | University of Indianapolis | $54,319 | $26,962 | $21,602 | 56% |
| 6 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $53,867 | $20,864 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 7 | Marian University | $53,635 | $26,750 | $24,018 | 67% |
| 8 | Holy Cross College | $51,745 | — | $26,728 | 73% |
| 9 | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | $49,971 | $27,000 | $31,872 | 47% |
| 10 | Franklin College | $49,687 | $27,000 | $22,855 | 60% |
| 11 | Indiana University-East | $49,596 | $26,893 | $8,134 | 40% |
| 12 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | $49,582 | — | $13,171 | 36% |
| 13 | Ball State University | $48,421 | $24,612 | $14,940 | 62% |
| 14 | Anderson University | $48,181 | $27,000 | $25,021 | 54% |
| 15 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $46,904 | $22,439 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 16 | Trine University | $46,798 | $27,000 | $25,355 | 64% |
| 17 | Indiana Institute of Technology | $46,698 | $33,611 | $23,206 | 48% |
| 18 | Indiana University-South Bend | $46,521 | $22,465 | $8,653 | 40% |
| 19 | Indiana University-Southeast | $46,145 | $21,988 | $7,888 | 39% |
| 20 | Indiana University-Northwest | $45,323 | $23,500 | $5,130 | 37% |
| 21 | Grace College and Theological Seminary | $44,424 | $22,009 | $19,932 | 69% |
| 22 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | $43,781 | $24,188 | $22,866 | 67% |
| 23 | Indiana State University | $42,822 | $27,000 | $10,873 | 43% |
| 24 | Purdue University Northwest | $42,322 | $23,929 | $6,079 | 43% |
| 25 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $40,574 | $20,451 | $12,923 | 48% |
| 26 | Taylor University | $39,400 | $22,750 | $24,865 | 74% |
| 27 | Indiana University-Kokomo | $37,508 | $23,531 | $3,968 | 46% |
13 more Indiana 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 PNW, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About PNW
- Acceptance rate: 72% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 43% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $48,318
- Full cost breakdown · all 48 majors · overview
Related majors at PNW
- Sociology$48,830
- Social Work—
PNW Psychology questions
How much do PNW Psychology graduates earn?
Psychology graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn a median $42,322 four years after graduating and $27,436 one year after. The U.S. median for Psychology graduates across 998 colleges is $49,968.
How much debt do PNW Psychology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Psychology graduates of Purdue University Northwest is $23,929, about 57% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,490.
Is PNW a good school for Psychology in Indiana?
On pay, Psychology graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn $42,322 four years out, $4,529 below the median for the same major across 30 Indiana colleges ($46,851) and $7,646 below the U.S. median ($49,968). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does PNW rank for Psychology in Indiana?
Of 27 Indiana colleges reporting Psychology graduate earnings, Purdue University Northwest ranks 24th. The highest is University of Notre Dame at $69,793.
What jobs do Psychology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $64,890 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 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: “Purdue University Northwest Psychology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-northwest/majors/psychology (College Scorecard and BLS data).