Psychology at Wells College

Wells College psychology graduates earn notably more than their peers—outperforming 81% of psychology programs nationally despite the program's modest profile. With first-year earnings of $35,578 climbing to $41,506 by year four, graduates are clearing both national and New York state medians by healthy margins. The debt load of $26,500 is manageable, translating to a 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio that many programs would envy.

However, the small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift dramatically year to year. What looks like strong performance now might reflect a few particularly successful graduates rather than a reliable pattern. For context, this program lands in the 60th percentile among New York's 92 psychology programs—solid middle-of-the-pack performance in a competitive state market. The top programs in New York are pushing median earnings well into the $40,000s, suggesting room for improvement.

The combination of reasonable debt and above-average early earnings makes this a defensible choice, especially at a 70% admission rate that suggests accessibility. But given the uncertainty around these numbers, your child should have frank conversations with current students and recent alumni about actual job outcomes before committing.