Psychology at Ashford University

Ashford University's psychology program delivers exceptionally strong earnings that rank in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile among California programs—impressive performance that places it among the state's top earners alongside much more prestigious institutions. At $38,524 in first-year earnings, graduates earn $8,000 more than the national median and nearly $8,000 above California's median for psychology programs.

However, this strong earning power comes with a significant cost burden. At $43,875 in median debt—more than double both national and state averages—students are paying premium prices for these outcomes. The debt load creates a concerning 1.14 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates carry debt equivalent to 14 months of their first-year salary. Additionally, earnings actually decline by 5% from year one to year four, suggesting the program may not build skills that lead to career advancement.

For psychology majors, this represents a high-cost, high-reward scenario where exceptional immediate earnings help justify the debt burden, but only if students can manage the substantial loan payments. The program works best for families who can afford to minimize borrowing or for students confident about pursuing graduate school where the strong foundational earnings could provide leverage.