Behavioral Sciences at Franklin and Marshall College

Franklin & Marshall's behavioral sciences graduates earn $38,391 in their first year—landing at the 95th percentile nationally but only the 60th percentile among Pennsylvania programs. That's an unusual split worth understanding: while this beats three-quarters of behavioral sciences programs nationwide, Pennsylvania has several stronger competitors. The $19,000 median debt is manageable at roughly half of first-year earnings, though it's higher than most behavioral sciences programs nationally (87th percentile). Still, it's significantly lower than PA's typical $33,220 for this major.

The bigger caveat here is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates reported data, which makes these numbers potentially unstable. A small cohort at a selective liberal arts college (32% admission rate) could skew in either direction depending on who responded and what career paths they pursued immediately after graduation. The debt burden seems reasonable for a private college education, but the earnings picture is middling for Pennsylvania despite strong national performance.

If your child is genuinely interested in behavioral sciences and values Franklin & Marshall's academic environment, the financial risk appears moderate. However, given the small sample and middling state performance, you'd want to confirm whether this program connects to clear career paths or graduate school preparation that justify choosing F&M over lower-cost Pennsylvania alternatives with similar or better outcomes.