Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology at Thomas Jefferson University

Thomas Jefferson University's clinical psychology bachelor's graduates earn $43,964 in their first year—putting them in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile among Pennsylvania programs. That's $13,000 more than the typical PA graduate in this field and substantially above the national median of $34,506. For a program at a school with an 86% admission rate, these outcomes are notably strong. Only Albright College produces higher earners among Pennsylvania's psychology programs.

The tradeoff is debt: at $47,976, graduates carry nearly double the state median of $26,000. However, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09, the burden remains manageable—graduates earn roughly what they owe in their first year. Earnings do grow modestly to $45,447 by year four, though the 3% increase suggests this field doesn't reward early-career experience as generously as others.

The major caveat is sample size. With fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could shift significantly with a larger cohort. That said, the consistent pattern—high earnings relative to peers, manageable debt ratio, stability over time—suggests this program prepares students well for whatever paths they're taking, whether that's immediate employment or graduate school preparation. For families comfortable with above-average debt in exchange for top-tier outcomes in this field, Jefferson delivers.