Psychology at DePaul University

DePaul's psychology program demonstrates something many bachelor's psychology programs struggle to achieve: meaningful income growth after graduation. While first-year earnings of $33,820 sit slightly above both national and Illinois medians, the trajectory tells a more compelling story—by year four, graduates reach $47,752, a 41% increase that suggests they're successfully leveraging their degree into better opportunities. Among Illinois psychology programs, DePaul lands in the 60th percentile, trailing elite options like Northwestern but outperforming the state median by nearly $5,000 by year four.

The debt picture strengthens the case: at $27,000, graduates borrow only marginally more than state and national medians while accessing the advantages of DePaul's Chicago location and networking opportunities. That 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio reflects manageable initial loan payments, particularly given the strong earnings growth that follows. The program serves a notably diverse student body (31% Pell recipients) without compromising outcomes, suggesting solid institutional support.

For parents weighing psychology programs in Illinois, this delivers practical value—graduates start near but not at the top of the earnings range, then climb steadily over the first four years. The degree appears to open doors rather than leaving graduates stuck in entry-level positions, which is precisely what you want from a psychology BA given that many career paths require additional experience or credentialing.