Psychology at Hobart William Smith Colleges

Hobart William Smith's psychology program commands private school pricing but delivers earnings that fall short of what that investment should generate. The $38,117 first-year salary sits at the 95th percentile nationally—impressive until you realize that within New York, it only reaches the 60th percentile. That gap matters because you're paying $27,000 in median debt (above both state and national benchmarks) for outcomes that trail several CUNY schools where graduates earn $40,000+ with significantly less debt.

The 0.71 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic, but it reflects the core tension: this is a selective liberal arts college (SAT 1296, 57% admission rate) where psychology majors emerge with earnings barely above the state median. Compare this to psychology grads from Excelsior or Empire State University, who start $5,000+ higher. For a family paying premium tuition at a small private college, these returns should spark serious questions about whether the residential experience justifies the financial gap.

If your child is set on Hobart William Smith for the campus culture and small classes, they can make this work—but understand they're choosing the experience over the earnings potential. Psychology majors planning graduate school might value that foundation, but those heading straight to work would likely see better returns at less expensive New York institutions.