ROI Major

Psychology, General at Kilgore College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 42.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Psychology, General degree from Kilgore College earn a median salary of $34,596 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $37,564. The degree typically pays for itself in 25.7 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$25,359

Typical Career

$34,596

Top Performers

$41,469

Estimated break-even: 25.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$231

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,883. Most students can comfortably afford about a $231 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.0%
Educational Services 12.2%
Manufacturing 7.9%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$37,564

Nominal: $34,596 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% higher 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).

25.7 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 $20,596 $30,143 $44,978
5 Years After Graduation $25,359 $34,596 $41,469
10 Years After Graduation $36,215 $49,269 $58,032

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 $34,596 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $34,596 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $37,564 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Psychology, General at Kilgore College shows a gradual increase over time. One year post-graduation, the median earnings are $30,143, which rise to $34,596 after five years and reach $49,269 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $37,563.52, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth as graduates gain experience in the field.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 46.8% and 37.0% of graduates finding roles in these areas, alongside 30.0% in Public Administration. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 25.7 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time, the long-term career prospects in these industries can provide a stable and rewarding career path for those pursuing a degree in psychology.

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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.