Psychology at Chatham University

That $37,601 first-year salary puts Chatham's psychology graduates nearly $4,000 ahead of Pennsylvania's median and well above the national benchmark—a meaningful edge in a field notorious for modest starting salaries. The $21,853 debt load is notably lower than both state and national averages, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 that's quite manageable by psychology standards. While Chatham ranks 60th percentile in Pennsylvania, this actually represents solid positioning in a crowded market: you're earning more than most Pennsylvania psychology grads while borrowing significantly less than the state's $27,000 median debt.

The crucial caveat here is sample size—with fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort, one or two outliers could be skewing these numbers considerably. That 94th percentile national ranking looks impressive on paper, but it's worth viewing with skepticism given the small data set. The program sits in an accessible institution (70% admission rate) that doesn't burden students with crushing debt, which matters more for psychology majors than for fields with six-figure starting salaries.

For families comfortable with the uncertainty of limited data, this looks like a reasonable path: you're getting above-average outcomes without the debt burden that makes many psychology degrees financially problematic. Just recognize you're betting on a small sample holding true rather than proven consistency.