ROI Major

Psychology, General at University of North Texas

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 42.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Psychology, General degree from University of North Texas earn a median salary of $52,672 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,190. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.6 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

$37,991

Typical Career

$52,672

Top Performers

$68,205

Estimated break-even: 10.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$351

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,389. Most students can comfortably afford about a $351 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 22.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.5%
Finance & Insurance 10.1%

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

$57,190

Nominal: $52,672 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).

10.6 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 $25,002 $33,600 $44,245
5 Years After Graduation $37,991 $52,672 $68,205
10 Years After Graduation $50,952 $67,954 $88,839

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 $52,672 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)
= $52,672 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $57,190 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 North Texas can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,600, which increases to $52,672 after five years and reaches $67,954 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $57,190.01, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (22.6%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.5%), and Finance & Insurance (10.1%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.6 years, suggesting that while the investment in a psychology degree may take over a decade to recoup, the diverse career opportunities and potential for growth in earnings provide a reasonable return on investment for graduates in the long run.

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 North Texas 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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