Psychology at Birmingham-Southern College

Birmingham-Southern's psychology graduates start at $27,383, landing below both national and state medians for this major. While that places them roughly mid-pack among Alabama psychology programs (40th percentile), the state as a whole lags the national market—meaning this program sits in the 19th percentile nationally. For context, nearby alternatives like Athens State and Troy produce psychology graduates earning $34,000-$31,000 one year out, a meaningful difference when you're launching a career.

The debt picture brings modest relief: at $24,714, it's slightly below both state and national medians, creating a first-year debt burden of 0.90—manageable if not comfortable. The 45% earnings bump to $39,668 by year four suggests graduates find their footing, though they're still playing catch-up to stronger programs in the state.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates tracked) means these numbers could shift significantly with more data. But taken at face value, this represents a below-average outcome for a psychology degree that carries typical debt. Parents should weigh whether Birmingham-Southern's specific offerings—smaller classes, campus culture, or faculty connections—justify starting several thousand dollars behind peers from larger state universities that produce better early earnings at similar cost.