Psychology at Cornell University

Cornell's psychology program manages what few elite universities achieve: combining prestige with genuinely superior financial outcomes. While the first-year salary of $36,630 might disappoint given Cornell's 8% admission rate and 1520 average SAT, the 75% earnings jump by year four tells a different story. At $64,146, graduates are earning double what typical psychology majors make nationally and significantly outperforming the $31,548 New York state median.

The debt picture is exceptional—just $14,157 against a national psychology median of $25,500. That 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio ranks in the 95th percentile nationally, meaning Cornell psychology students carry less debt than 95% of their counterparts elsewhere. This matters enormously in a field where many graduates pursue additional education or lower-paying public service roles early in their careers.

What's striking is that even at the 60th percentile within New York, Cornell is comfortably ahead of the state median, and the earnings trajectory suggests Cornell's network and credential increasingly pay dividends over time. For families who can manage an Ivy League price tag (note the low 18% Pell grant rate), this program delivers both the Cornell name and measurably better financial outcomes than most psychology degrees—a rare combination in the liberal arts.