Simpson College Psychology: earnings, debt & careers

Psychology graduates of Simpson College earn a median $49,966 four years after graduating, with median federal loan debt of $27,000. That is $2 below the U.S. median for Psychology graduates ($49,968 across 998 colleges), and ranks 10th of 17 Iowa colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$49,966

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

College Scorecard field of study; 30 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
—

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

About 54% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,490.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$21,936 /yr

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

Sticker price $61,227. College Scorecard.

Simpson College Psychology: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Simpson College graduates$49,966
Iowa median (17 colleges)$50,877 (−$911)
U.S. median (998 colleges)$49,968 (−$2)

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 Simpson College'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$17,941$75,7115.7 years
$30–48k$15,764$66,5245.0 years
$48–75k$19,176$80,9236.1 years
$75–110k$22,468$94,8157.1 years
$110k+$26,586$112,1938.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (53% 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 ($49,966) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,305 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 Iowa colleges

Every Iowa 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
1Central College$56,941$27,000$23,37766%
2Saint Ambrose University$56,803$25,190$24,69161%
3Luther College$56,469$26,500$23,09771%
4Coe College$55,024$27,000$18,74566%
5Clarke University$54,384$26,500$24,47956%
6University of Northern Iowa$53,829$22,500$15,90168%
7Loras College$51,036$27,000$20,71668%
8University of Iowa$51,031$24,398$22,53175%
9Upper Iowa University$50,877$41,478$20,94234%
10Simpson College$49,966$27,000$21,93663%
11William Penn University$49,929$27,443$22,60133%
12Iowa State University$49,286$23,121$18,58975%
13Grand View University$47,798$28,200$21,77454%
14Drake University$47,706$20,248$29,12774%
15Wartburg College$47,110$27,000$32,90864%
16Mount Mercy University$45,951$26,882$20,16858%
17Buena Vista University$44,755$32,500$18,84662%

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

Careers for Psychology graduates

Social Science Research Assistants

Des Moines area$33,840
Iowa$40,940
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 Simpson College, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Simpson College

Related majors at Simpson College

  • Sociology—

Simpson College Psychology questions

How much do Simpson College Psychology graduates earn?

Psychology graduates of Simpson College earn a median $49,966 four years after graduating. The U.S. median for Psychology graduates across 998 colleges is $49,968.

How much debt do Simpson College Psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Psychology graduates of Simpson College is $27,000, about 54% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,490.

Is Simpson College a good school for Psychology in Iowa?

On pay, Psychology graduates of Simpson College earn $49,966 four years out, $911 below the median for the same major across 17 Iowa colleges ($50,877) and $2 below the U.S. median ($49,968). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Simpson College rank for Psychology in Iowa?

Of 17 Iowa colleges reporting Psychology graduate earnings, Simpson College ranks 10th. The highest is Central College at $56,941.

What jobs do Psychology graduates get?

A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $33,840 in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 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
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Cite this: “Simpson College Psychology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/simpson-college/majors/psychology (College Scorecard and BLS data).