Psychology at SUNY Old Westbury

SUNY Old Westbury's psychology program faces a significant hurdle right out of the gate: graduates earn $31,000 in their first year, landing below both the state median ($31,548) and at just the 40th percentile among New York psychology programs. More concerning is the debt situation—at $18,394, graduates here carry substantially less debt than typical psychology majors (who average $25,000-$25,500), yet even this lower figure creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59 when paired with those modest starting salaries.

The silver lining is meaningful earnings growth. By year four, median earnings jump to $42,411, a 37% increase that suggests graduates find their footing in the job market. However, this still leaves them trailing stronger New York programs like CUNY's Medgar Evers College ($39,868) or Empire State University ($39,188), which likely offer better starting positions. For a school serving nearly half its students through Pell grants, the lower debt load matters—these families can't afford heavy borrowing—but the weak initial earnings create real cash flow challenges during those critical first years after graduation.

If your child is set on psychology and needs affordability, the low debt here is genuinely valuable. Just understand they'll likely need family support or a side job early on, and they'll be playing catch-up compared to peers at more competitive New York programs. The 85% admission rate means access is easy; translating that degree into middle-class earnings takes longer here than elsewhere.