Psychology at Dartmouth College

A $27,000 debt load from an Ivy League institution might seem reasonable at first glance, but the estimated first-year earnings of $38,369 tell a more sobering story. Based on comparable psychology programs in New Hampshire, Dartmouth graduates appear to start at the state median—roughly matching outcomes from schools like Saint Anselm and Southern New Hampshire, despite Dartmouth's 6% admission rate and stratospheric SAT scores. By year four, earnings climb to just over $50,000, which is solid progress but still reflects psychology's inherent earning constraints at the bachelor's level.

The concern here isn't the debt itself—the 0.70 ratio is manageable—but rather the opportunity cost. Your child is competing for admission against candidates with near-perfect test scores to access a program whose early outcomes, based on state peer data, don't distinguish it from far less selective New Hampshire schools. If your student is heading to graduate school in clinical or counseling psychology, Dartmouth's credential and advising likely justify the investment. But if they're planning to work immediately after graduation, understand that the typical psychology bachelor's trajectory starts modestly regardless of institutional prestige. The value proposition here depends almost entirely on what comes after this degree, not the degree itself.