University of California-Santa Barbara Psychology (Research): earnings, debt & careers

Psychology (Research) graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $66,171 four years after graduating ($34,431 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $15,000. That is $9,341 above the U.S. median for Psychology (Research) graduates ($56,830 across 82 colleges), and ranks 1st of 9 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$66,171

U.S. median for this major: $56,830.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$34,431

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$15,000

About 23% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $21,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,109 /yr

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

Sticker price $41,573. College Scorecard.

Psychology (Research) at California colleges

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

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of California-Santa Barbara$66,171$15,000$16,10983%
2University of California-Berkeley$64,904$12,111$13,48193%
3University of California-San Diego$63,130$15,500$12,47086%
4University of California-Los Angeles$61,134$16,737$12,54893%
5University of California-Davis$57,378$13,219$14,74186%
6University of California-Irvine$54,323$13,000$14,25187%
7University of California-Riverside$49,947$18,500$14,30476%
8Mount Saint Mary's University$49,222$27,000$21,41353%
9California State University-San Bernardino$47,408$16,750$4,56455%

11 more California colleges offer Psychology (Research) but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Psychology (Research) graduates

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Santa Maria area$57,710
California$65,200
U.S.$59,550

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Social Science Research Assistants

California$60,250
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 University of California-Santa Barbara, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of California-Santa Barbara

Related majors at University of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Santa Barbara Psychology (Research) questions

How much do University of California-Santa Barbara Psychology (Research) graduates earn?

Psychology (Research) graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $66,171 four years after graduating and $34,431 one year after. The U.S. median for Psychology (Research) graduates across 82 colleges is $56,830.

How much debt do University of California-Santa Barbara Psychology (Research) graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Psychology (Research) graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara is $15,000, about 23% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $21,000.

Where does University of California-Santa Barbara rank for Psychology (Research) in California?

Of 9 California colleges reporting Psychology (Research) graduate earnings, University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Psychology (Research) graduates get?

A common career is child, family, and school social workers, with a median wage of $57,710 in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA area and $59,550 nationally. Others include social science research assistants.

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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: “University of California-Santa Barbara Psychology (Research): earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/psychology-research (College Scorecard and BLS data).