Psychology at Judson University

Judson's psychology program produces graduates earning nearly $35,000 their first year out—performance that lands in the 77th percentile nationally but only the 60th percentile within Illinois. This tells an important story: while these graduates outpace most psychology majors nationwide, Illinois has an unusually strong field of psychology programs, with Northwestern and several Chicago-area schools pushing median earnings considerably higher.

The $25,000 debt load translates to a 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe about 9 months of their first-year salary. That's manageable compared to many psychology programs, though parents should note the substantial caveat here: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, making these figures less reliable than data from larger programs. A few high or low earners can significantly skew the numbers.

For families considering Judson specifically, this looks like reasonable value if your student connects with the university's Christian mission and smaller campus environment. Psychology majors rarely command high starting salaries anywhere, and Judson's outcomes sit comfortably in the middle of the pack statewide while avoiding the debt burdens that plague some competitors. Just recognize that if maximizing early career earnings matters most, several Illinois programs consistently produce better outcomes—and that this small sample size means your student's actual experience could differ meaningfully from these medians.