# Psychology, General

> A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/psychology-general
- CIP code: 42.01 (Psychology)
- Colleges offering it: 1,291 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/psychology

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 51 | $37,239 | $47,847 | $18,200 |
| Associate's | 358 | $30,362 | $38,903 | $11,475 |
| Bachelor's | 1,291 | $37,243 | $50,066 | $21,556 |
| Master's | 355 | $53,427 | $67,143 | $38,755 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 136 | $78,386 | $104,428 | $81,500 |
| First professional | 9 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 40 | $67,556 | $65,990 | $26,976 |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Georgetown University-DC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgetown-university-dc-1068) | Washington, DC | $99,007 | $12,500 |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Pittsburgh, PA | $82,433 | not reported |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Washington, DC | $79,187 | $19,500 |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Ithaca, NY | $78,049 | $12,500 |
| [Santa Clara University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/santa-clara-university-2371) | Santa Clara, CA | $75,742 | $15,500 |
| [Virginia Military Institute](https://www.collegesref.com/college/virginia-military-institute-3132) | Lexington, VA | $75,059 | $21,700 |
| [Lehigh University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lehigh-university-1472) | Bethlehem, PA | $74,939 | $19,620 |
| [University of San Diego](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-san-diego-usd-3033) | San Diego, CA | $74,178 | $20,593 |
| [College of the Holy Cross](https://www.collegesref.com/college/college-of-the-holy-cross-626) | Worcester, MA | $74,095 | $23,000 |
| [Villanova University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/villanova-university-3127) | Villanova, PA | $73,684 | $24,242 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Industrial-Organizational Psychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/industrial-organizational-psychologists): $193,950 median pay
- [Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/brownfield-redevelopment-specialists-and-site-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Compliance Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/compliance-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Loss Prevention Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/loss-prevention-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Managers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/managers-all-other): $141,900 median pay
- [Regulatory Affairs Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/regulatory-affairs-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-development-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Operations Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-operations-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Clinical Neuropsychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-neuropsychologists): $110,840 median pay
- [Neuropsychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/neuropsychologists): $110,840 median pay
- [Psychologists, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/psychologists-all-other): $110,840 median pay
- [Clinical and Counseling Psychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-and-counseling-psychologists): $100,580 median pay
- [Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/psychology-teachers-postsecondary): $80,340 median pay
- [Social Science Research Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-science-research-assistants): $61,990 median pay

## More in Psychology

- [Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/clinical-counseling-and-applied-psychology): 550 colleges
- [Research and Experimental Psychology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/research-and-experimental-psychology): 219 colleges
- [Psychology, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/psychology-other): 46 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/