Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology at CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Baruch's psychology graduates earn $57,204 in their first year—a figure that places them well above virtually every other psychology program in New York and nationwide. While the debt figure of $22,430 is estimated from comparable New York programs rather than actual Baruch outcomes, that level of borrowing against these earnings would represent a manageable 0.39 ratio, far better than typical psychology programs where debt often exceeds first-year income.

The puzzle here is the earnings drop to $46,414 by year four. This 19% decline is unusual and could reflect several factors: perhaps many graduates pursue graduate school (common in psychology), take lower-paying positions to accumulate clinical hours, or the initial cohort included non-traditional career paths. Without more data on this specific program's graduates, it's difficult to know whether this pattern is real or an artifact of the small sample size that caused the debt suppression.

For parents, the key question is trajectory. If your child plans to work immediately after graduation, that strong first-year number is encouraging—but the fourth-year dip suggests this bachelor's degree may be a stepping stone rather than a terminal credential. If graduate school is the plan, starting with estimated debt under $23,000 provides flexibility. Just recognize these earnings figures represent a small group of graduates whose paths may not match your child's intentions.