Psychology at Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Wesleyan's psychology bachelor's comes with a relatively manageable debt load of $27,000—lower than three-quarters of psychology programs nationally—but generates below-average earnings for Virginia. At $31,123 in the first year, graduates earn about $1,000 less than the state median for psychology majors and land in just the 40th percentile among Virginia's 41 psychology programs. For context, Virginia's top public universities produce psychology graduates earning $36,000+, while even mid-tier state programs typically exceed $32,000.

The modest 8% earnings growth to $33,555 by year four suggests this program doesn't open doors to rapid career advancement. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87 isn't catastrophic—you're looking at monthly loan payments around $300 on a $31,000 salary—but it means nearly a year's worth of income goes toward student debt. Given that psychology bachelor's degrees often require graduate school for career progression, starting with $27,000 in debt may limit future educational options.

Important caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary significantly. If your child is committed to psychology and values small-school attention, this won't bury them financially. But if maximizing early earnings matters, Virginia's public universities deliver notably better returns at potentially lower in-state costs.