ROI Major

Psychology, General at University of Minnesota Duluth

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 42.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Psychology, General degree from University of Minnesota Duluth earn a median salary of $53,089 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,418. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.4 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

$40,774

Typical Career

$53,089

Top Performers

$65,890

Estimated break-even: 10.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$354

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,424. Most students can comfortably afford about a $354 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 15.3%
Educational Services 14.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.9%

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

$56,418

Nominal: $53,089 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

10.4 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 $25,225 $34,004 $43,280
5 Years After Graduation $40,774 $53,089 $65,890
10 Years After Graduation $51,997 $69,392 $86,967

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 $53,089 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $53,089 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $56,418 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 the University of Minnesota Duluth experience a notable earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $34,004, which increases to $53,089 after five years and reaches $69,392 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $56,417.64 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Minnesota.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (15.3%), Educational Services (14.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.9%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.4 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial benefits and diverse career opportunities in key sectors present a favorable outlook for graduates.

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 University of Minnesota Duluth 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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