Psychology at John Brown University

John Brown University's psychology graduates earn about $35,000 in their first year—outpacing three-quarters of psychology programs nationwide and landing above the state median, despite Arkansas having lower salary benchmarks overall. At $26,544 in debt, graduates face manageable loans equivalent to 75% of first-year earnings, slightly better than the national median for psychology degrees. Among Arkansas psychology programs, this ranks solidly in the 60th percentile, placing it ahead of larger state universities like University of Central Arkansas but behind UALR's program.

The real question is whether psychology at this tuition level makes financial sense. The modest admission selectivity (68% acceptance rate, 1222 SAT) suggests JBU isn't primarily attracting students bound for clinical psychology PhD programs or other high-earning psychology tracks. The first-year salary, while competitive for Arkansas, still translates to roughly $17/hour—tight for someone carrying $26,500 in loans. Only 21% of students receive Pell grants, indicating this program primarily serves middle-income families who may stretch to afford private tuition.

For families comfortable with the debt load and committed to Arkansas, this program delivers slightly above-average outcomes for the state. But if your child is uncertain about graduate school or considering psychology as a general liberal arts degree, the earnings trajectory matters more than the promising first-year number—and that data isn't available here.