U.S. median for this major: $49,968.
College Scorecard field of study; 190 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 36% 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 $37,684. College Scorecard.
CU 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 CU'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 | $14,231 | $60,624 | 3.7 years |
| $30–48k | $14,381 | $61,263 | 3.8 years |
| $48–75k | $18,828 | $80,207 | 4.9 years |
| $75–110k | $26,915 | $114,658 | 7.1 years |
| $110k+ | $34,818 | $148,325 | 9.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (58% 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 ($56,867) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,257 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 Colorado colleges
Every Colorado 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 Colorado Boulder | $56,867 | $20,500 | $25,346 | 74% |
| 2 | University of Denver | $56,161 | $21,083 | $36,131 | 76% |
| 3 | Colorado Christian University | $54,887 | $44,088 | $29,500 | 64% |
| 4 | Colorado Mesa Universitybachelor's & associate | $54,321 | $26,648 | $15,103 | 41% |
| 5 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | $54,268 | $23,147 | $21,279 | 67% |
| 6 | Regis University | $53,502 | — | $18,397 | 61% |
| 7 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | $52,990 | $28,000 | $11,900 | 46% |
| 8 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | $50,326 | $24,591 | $15,327 | 32% |
| 9 | University of Northern Colorado | $49,455 | $23,000 | $17,760 | 51% |
| 10 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | $48,725 | $25,000 | $15,788 | 47% |
| 11 | Western Colorado University | $47,401 | $26,000 | $16,425 | 51% |
| 12 | Fort Lewis College | $46,256 | $20,264 | $17,296 | 36% |
| 13 | Colorado State University Pueblo | $45,974 | $22,000 | $10,051 | 40% |
| 14 | Naropa University | $43,238 | $33,250 | $29,179 | 37% |
2 more Colorado 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 CU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About CU
- Acceptance rate: 78% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 74% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $69,738
- Full cost breakdown · all 68 majors · overview
Related majors at CU
- Sociology$58,026
CU Psychology questions
How much do CU Psychology graduates earn?
Psychology graduates of University of Colorado Boulder earn a median $56,867 four years after graduating and $30,176 one year after. The U.S. median for Psychology graduates across 998 colleges is $49,968.
How much debt do CU Psychology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Psychology graduates of University of Colorado Boulder is $20,500, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,490.
Is CU a good school for Psychology in Colorado?
On pay, Psychology graduates of University of Colorado Boulder earn $56,867 four years out, $5,209 above the median for the same major across 14 Colorado colleges ($51,658) and $6,899 above the U.S. median ($49,968). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does CU rank for Psychology in Colorado?
Of 14 Colorado colleges reporting Psychology graduate earnings, University of Colorado Boulder ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Psychology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $50,430 in Colorado and $61,990 nationally.
Is CU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing CU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “University of Colorado Boulder Psychology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder/majors/psychology (College Scorecard and BLS data).