Home›Majors›Research and Experimental Psychology

DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4227

Research and Experimental Psychology: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$104,386 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$104,386Median year-4 earnings

$14,775Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$104,386Median reported earnings · year 4

$105,165Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

53thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

6Reporting programs

6With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $49,186
Federal debt: $21,320
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $56,830
Federal debt: $21,814
Reporting programs: 111

82 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $62,661
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 13

13 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $104,386
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 6

6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $53,677
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$99,311National median$104,38675th percentile$106,855

6 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Ohio State University-Main Campus$120,917 2University of California, Riverside$119,816 3University of California, Davis$106,855 4University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$101,916 5University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$99,311 6CUNY Graduate School and University Center$99,149

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Managers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 11 crosswalk linksPsychology Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1066 · 10 crosswalk linksPsychologists, All OtherSOC 19-3039 · 9 crosswalk linksChild, Family, and School Social WorkersSOC 21-1021 · 2 crosswalk linksBiological Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1029 · 1 crosswalk linksClinical and Counseling PsychologistsSOC 19-3033 · 1 crosswalk linksHealth Specialties Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1071 · 1 crosswalk linksLife Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1099 · 1 crosswalk linksMedical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsSOC 19-1042 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 1 crosswalk linksStatisticiansSOC 15-2041 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Ohio State University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree	Columbus, OH	$120,917	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,339
2	University of California, RiversideDoctoral Degree	Riverside, CA	$119,816	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,304
3	University of California, DavisDoctoral Degree	Davis, CA	$106,855	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,741
4	University of Michigan-Ann ArborDoctoral Degree	Ann Arbor, MI	$101,916	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,138
5	University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignDoctoral Degree	Champaign, IL	$99,311	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,355
6	CUNY Graduate School and University CenterDoctoral Degree	New York, NY	$99,149	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.