Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology at Los Angeles Pacific University

The numbers here look unusually strong, but the warning label matters: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these figures could shift dramatically with a larger cohort. That said, graduates earning $41,803 straight out of college outpace typical psychology bachelor's holders nationally by over $7,000—and beat California's median for this program by more than $12,000. This is rare territory for an undergraduate psychology degree, which typically launches graduates into lower-paying entry-level positions.

The debt load of $46,561 is notably higher than what students at Cal State schools or UC San Diego carry for similar programs, though the debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.11 remains manageable compared to many psychology programs. With nearly half of students receiving Pell grants, this institution serves a substantial population of lower-income families who are taking on significant loans. Whether that investment pays off long-term depends on career paths these graduates pursue—counseling and applied psychology fields often require graduate degrees for meaningful salary growth, which would add to the debt burden.

For families considering this program, the earnings advantage is real but context-dependent. If your student plans to work immediately after graduation, these starting salaries compare favorably. If graduate school is likely, factor in how additional loans stack onto an already above-average undergraduate debt load. The small sample size means you're betting on limited data, so talking to current students and recent alumni about actual job placements would be wise.