Psychology at Midway University

Midway's psychology program starts graduates at $27,403—about $4,400 below Kentucky's median and in the bottom fifth nationally. While that's concerning, the real story here is trajectory: earnings jump 37% by year four, reaching $37,583, which actually surpasses several Kentucky competitors. The debt load of $27,000 is reasonable and sits below the 25th percentile nationally, meaning most psychology programs saddle graduates with more.

The challenge for anxious parents is that first year. Your graduate may need family support or a side income stream while building their career, as $27,403 in Kentucky won't leave much breathing room. However, the strong earnings growth suggests graduates are finding their footing—perhaps moving into social services, HR, or continuing to graduate programs where psychology majors often thrive. At 40th percentile in Kentucky, this program lands solidly middle-of-the-pack statewide, though it trails schools like Spalding and Northern Kentucky by meaningful margins.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means one or two outliers could skew these numbers in either direction. That said, the debt-to-earnings ratio near 1.0 in year one improves dramatically as earnings grow, making this manageable if your student can weather those lean early years and has a plan for leveraging the degree beyond entry-level work.