Doctoral · Santa Barbara CA, California

Is Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute worth it?

Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 9.6 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $102,668; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $113,635; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $239,460; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published): $254k (likely $254k – $254k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $45k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in CA; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 9.6 years (likely 6.8–15.6); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$354k (likely −$563k – −$133k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $178k (likely −$226k – $653k); Today's dollars

Scorecard reports no net price for graduate programs; cost is based on what graduates typically borrowed.