ROI Major

Research and Experimental Psychology at Savannah State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 42.27

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Research and Experimental Psychology degree from Savannah State University earn a median salary of $42,543 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,009. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.9 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

$30,091

Typical Career

$42,543

Top Performers

$53,596

Estimated break-even: 17.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$284

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,545. Most students can comfortably afford about a $284 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x 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 17.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.9%
Public Administration 10.4%

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

$47,009

Nominal: $42,543 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).

17.9 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 $23,268 $30,351 $38,842
5 Years After Graduation $30,091 $42,543 $53,596
10 Years After Graduation $37,935 $53,421 $73,299

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 $42,543 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)
= $42,543 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $47,009 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates in Research and Experimental Psychology from Savannah State University experience a steady earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $30,351 one year post-graduation, rising to $42,543 after five years, and reaching $53,421 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $47,008.84, reflecting the cost of living in Georgia, which has a COL index of 0.905 compared to the national average of 1.0. This suggests that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth over time.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (17.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.9%), and Public Administration (10.4%), indicating a diverse range of career paths available. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 17.9 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment. Overall, while the initial financial benefits may take time to materialize, the degree offers a viable pathway into stable and growing sectors.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Research and Experimental Psychology degree at Savannah 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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