Bachelor's · La Jolla, California
Is Psychology, General at University of California-San Diego worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ 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 7.1 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $36,933
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $55,510
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $11,512
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $63k (likely $63k – $67k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $16k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.1 years (likely 6.0–8.8)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$105k (likely −$150k – −$66k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $94k (likely −$6k – $210k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 86%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 5%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Psychology, General at other schools
🍎 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward teaching & helping people majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Psychology
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Statistics
IB Higher Level
- Psychology HL
- Language A HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at University of California-San Diego
- Computer Science (Master's)$231,397
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$201,287
- Computer Engineering (Master's)$173,180
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's)$169,987
- Physics (Doctoral)$166,997
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral)$165,543
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$159,487
- Engineering, Other (Master's)$158,915
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$149,271
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$149,139
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Doctoral)$148,833
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$145,693
Psychology, General at other schools in California
- Santa Clara University$75,742
- University of San Diego$74,178
- University of Southern California$70,461
- Saint Mary's College of California$70,123
- National University$66,849
- University of San Francisco$65,071
- Azusa Pacific University$63,963
- Notre Dame de Namur University$63,847
- Chapman University$63,617
- University of California-Berkeley$62,835