ROI Major

Psychology, General at University of Houston - Victoria

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 42.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Psychology, General degree from University of Houston - Victoria earn a median salary of $51,190 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,581. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.3 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

$38,795

Typical Career

$51,190

Top Performers

$67,278

Estimated break-even: 12.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$341

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,266. Most students can comfortably afford about a $341 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 35.8%
Health Care & Social Assistance 18.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.2%

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

$55,581

Nominal: $51,190 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).

12.3 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 $28,817 $39,324 $50,854
5 Years After Graduation $38,795 $51,190 $67,278
10 Years After Graduation $42,520 $57,258 $72,819

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 $51,190 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)
= $51,190 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $55,581 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 the University of Houston - Victoria can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,324, which increases to $51,190 five years post-graduation and reaches $57,258 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $55,580.89, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country.

The primary industries that employ these graduates include Educational Services (35.8%), Health Care & Social Assistance (18.8%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.2%). Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 12.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Psychology, General appears favorable. This suggests that graduates can expect to recoup their educational costs and benefit from enhanced career opportunities over time.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Psychology, General degree at University of Houston - Victoria 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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