Psychology at Willamette University

Willamette's psychology program places graduates below both state and national medians for earnings, with first-year salaries of $29,678 trailing Oregon's median by nearly $3,000. Among Oregon's 19 psychology programs, this ranks in the 40th percentile—meaning graduates here earn less than the typical Oregon psychology major. The gap is even more pronounced when you compare to Oregon's top performers: Pacific University and Oregon State both start their psychology grads around $35,000, roughly 17% higher than Willamette.

The program does show strong earnings growth—a 43% jump to $42,378 by year four suggests graduates find their footing over time. The debt load of $24,547 is manageable, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.83, which means graduates owe less than one year's starting salary. That's reasonable leverage by most standards.

The catch here is the tiny sample size (under 30 graduates), which means a few outliers could skew these numbers significantly. What we can say: if you're paying private school tuition at Willamette for a psychology degree, you're likely getting similar or slightly weaker early career outcomes compared to more affordable Oregon public options. The earnings trajectory improves, but the starting position matters when you're managing student debt and launching a career.