Location: Oakland City, IN•In-State Tuition: $27,150•Admission Rate: 68%
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$40,706
Est. from IN median (3 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$38,759
Est. from IN median (3 programs)

Analysis

A bachelor's degree in psychology from Oakland City University comes with an estimated debt load of $38,759—roughly $12,000 above the national median for this field and enough to equal nearly an entire year's salary. Based on comparable psychology programs in Indiana, graduates typically earn around $40,700 in their first year, which actually exceeds the national median by about $6,000. That's encouraging for a field where many graduates struggle to break past the mid-$30,000s early on. However, the state's limited data pool (just three programs) makes it difficult to know whether Oakland City specifically matches this pattern or if location and program structure create different outcomes.

The practical challenge here is that psychology bachelor's degrees rarely lead directly to clinical work without graduate school. If your child plans to pursue a master's or doctorate in counseling or clinical psychology—which most licensed positions require—this debt becomes the first layer of educational borrowing, not the final bill. That changes the calculation significantly. On the other hand, if they're planning to enter social services, case management, or related fields immediately after graduation, starting with debt nearly equal to first-year earnings creates tight budget constraints during critical early career years.

Without school-specific outcomes data, compare Oakland City carefully against Indiana Wesleyan and other state programs where your child might receive merit aid or lower cost-of-attendance. The difference between $38,000 and $27,000 in debt matters enormously at this earnings level.

Where Oakland City University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all clinical, counseling and applied psychology bachelors's programs nationally

Oakland City University (estimated ±10%)Other clinical, counseling and applied psychology programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in Indiana

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Indiana (9 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Oakland City UniversityOakland City$27,150$40,706*—$38,759*—
Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionMarion$31,168$40,706*—$38,759*0.95
Indiana Wesleyan University-National & GlobalMarion$8,216$40,706*—$38,759*0.95
Purdue University GlobalWest Lafayette$10,110$35,086*—$42,443*1.21
National Median—$34,506*—$27,000*0.78
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with clinical, counseling and applied psychology graduates

Human Resources Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.

$140,030/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Training and Development Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization.

$127,090/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Management Analysts

Conduct organizational studies and evaluations, design systems and procedures, conduct work simplification and measurement studies, and prepare operations and procedures manuals to assist management in operating more efficiently and effectively. Includes program analysts and management consultants.

$101,190/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.

$94,310/yrJobs growth:

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.

$94,310/yrJobs growth:

School Psychologists

Diagnose and implement individual or schoolwide interventions or strategies to address educational, behavioral, or developmental issues that adversely impact educational functioning in a school. May address student learning and behavioral problems and counsel students or families. May design and implement performance plans, and evaluate performance. May consult with other school-based personnel.

$94,310/yrJobs growth:

Psychologists, All Other

All psychologists not listed separately.

$94,310/yrJobs growth:

Neuropsychologists

Apply theories and principles of neuropsychology to evaluate and diagnose disorders of higher cerebral functioning, often in research and medical settings. Study the human brain and the effect of physiological states on human cognition and behavior. May formulate and administer programs of treatment.

$94,310/yrJobs growth:

Clinical Neuropsychologists

Assess and diagnose patients with neurobehavioral problems related to acquired or developmental disorders of the nervous system, such as neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, and learning disabilities. Recommend treatment after diagnosis, such as therapy, medication, or surgery. Assist with evaluation before and after neurosurgical procedures, such as deep brain stimulation.

$94,310/yrJobs growth:

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Human Resources Specialists

Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.

$72,910/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Training and Development Specialists

Design or conduct work-related training and development programs to improve individual skills or organizational performance. May analyze organizational training needs or evaluate training effectiveness.

$65,850/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree
About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Oakland City University, approximately 32% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 3 similar programs in IN. Actual outcomes may vary.