Psychology at Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View A&M's psychology program starts graduates at $28,000—below both the national and Texas medians—but there's a silver lining in the 44% earnings growth by year four. At $40,281 four years out, graduates recover from that weak start, though they still trail peers at UT Permian Basin ($46,000) and TCU ($42,000). The relatively low debt of $28,500 matters here: it's actually below the Texas median for psychology programs, giving graduates breathing room despite modest initial earnings.

The program serves a predominantly low-income population (62% receive Pell grants), and for families in that situation, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.02 is manageable—you're not looking at the crushing burden that characterizes some psychology programs. However, ranking in just the 40th percentile among Texas psychology programs means your child would likely earn more at most other state schools, even accounting for similar earnings growth trajectories.

The practical question: can your family afford the lower earnings during those critical first few years post-graduation? If your child needs to immediately support themselves or start repaying loans aggressively, that $28,000 starting salary in Texas will be tight. If they have flexibility—perhaps living at home or pursuing graduate school—the combination of reasonable debt and solid earnings growth makes this workable, though not optimal compared to other Texas options.