ROI Major

Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology at Bryant University

RI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 42.28

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology degree from Bryant University earn a median salary of $64,798 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in RI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,598. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.5 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$52,401

Typical Career

$64,798

Top Performers

$78,843

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$432

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,400. Most students can comfortably afford about a $432 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Rhode Island buys what costs $1.13 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Finance & Insurance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Finance & Insurance 24.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 23.6%
Manufacturing 6.6%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$57,598

Nominal: $64,798 in Rhode Island (COL 112.5% of national avg) · 11.1% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

7.5 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $30,339 $39,474 $50,949
5 Years After Graduation $52,401 $64,798 $78,843
10 Years After Graduation $69,841 $90,782 $151,716

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $64,798 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in RI, which has a cost-of-living index of 112.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $64,798 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1250) = $57,598 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology program at Bryant University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,474, which increases to $64,798 five years post-graduation and reaches $90,782 a decade later. However, considering the cost of living in Rhode Island, where the cost of living index is 1.125 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is approximately $57,598.22, indicating that while earnings grow, local economic factors may impact overall financial well-being.

The top industries for graduates include Finance & Insurance (24.0%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (23.6%), and Manufacturing (6.6%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 7.5 years, suggesting that the investment in a degree can yield a favorable return over time. Overall, while the path to financial stability may take several years, the potential for higher earnings in diverse sectors supports the value of pursuing a degree in this field.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology degree at Bryant University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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