ROI Major

Psychology, General at Texas Southern University

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 42.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Psychology, General degree from Texas Southern University earn a median salary of $51,708 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,143. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.4 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

$37,758

Typical Career

$51,708

Top Performers

$67,483

Estimated break-even: 11.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$345

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,309. Most students can comfortably afford about a $345 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 27.0%
Health Care & Social Assistance 20.7%
Public Administration 7.9%

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

$56,143

Nominal: $51,708 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).

11.4 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 $26,759 $36,215 $46,394
5 Years After Graduation $37,758 $51,708 $67,483
10 Years After Graduation $45,808 $62,246 $80,111

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 $51,708 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)
= $51,708 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $56,143 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Psychology, General from Texas Southern University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,215, increasing to $51,708 five years post-graduation, and reaching $62,246 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $56,143.32, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country, despite the cost of living index in Texas being slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (27.0%), Health Care & Social Assistance (20.7%), and Public Administration (7.9%). This distribution suggests a strong alignment with sectors that prioritize psychological expertise and support. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 11.4 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and financial outcomes for Psychology graduates from Texas Southern University appear favorable, particularly within the context of the local job market.

Compare with Another School

See how the Psychology, General degree at Texas Southern 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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