ROI Major

Psychology, General at Albany State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 42.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Psychology, General degree from Albany State University earn a median salary of $39,415 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,552. The degree typically pays for itself in 28.2 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

$30,790

Typical Career

$39,415

Top Performers

$49,093

Estimated break-even: 28.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$263

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,285. Most students can comfortably afford about a $263 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 29.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 23.1%
Public Administration 9.1%

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

$43,552

Nominal: $39,415 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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).

28.2 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 $22,569 $28,868 $36,565
5 Years After Graduation $30,790 $39,415 $49,093
10 Years After Graduation $36,466 $47,150 $62,383

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 $39,415 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $39,415 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $43,552 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 Albany State University can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,868, which increases to $39,415 after five years and further to $47,150 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $43,552.49, reflecting the cost of living in Georgia, which has a lower cost of living index compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (29.6%), Health Care & Social Assistance (23.1%), and Public Administration (9.0%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 28.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for a degree in Psychology, General is moderate. While the degree opens doors to various sectors, the long-term financial benefits may require patience and strategic career planning.

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 Albany State University 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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