Psychology at University of Maryland Eastern Shore

With just $28,250 in debt, this psychology program keeps borrowing well below what you'll find at most colleges—in fact, it's in the 12th percentile nationally for debt load. That's the good news, and for a family focused on limiting student loans, it matters. The challenge is what happens after graduation: first-year earnings of $27,716 fall short of both Maryland's median ($31,463) and the national benchmark ($31,482) for psychology majors. Among Maryland's 21 psychology programs, this ranks right at the 40th percentile—solidly middle-of-the-pack in-state, but trailing schools like Bowie State and UMBC by $8,000-9,000 annually.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.02 means graduates owe roughly what they'll earn in their first year out, which is manageable but tight. More concerning is the small sample size here—fewer than 30 graduates reported data, so these numbers could shift dramatically year to year. The university serves a predominantly working-class student body (53% receive Pell grants), and the 90% admission rate suggests access is a priority.

If your child can attend at minimal debt and plans to pursue graduate school (where psychology majors often land), this could work. But if maximizing early earnings matters—especially to pay down loans quickly—other Maryland public universities show significantly stronger outcomes for psychology graduates.