Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 395 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology pays
Career outlook for Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology graduates
The job market for the occupations Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | 1,333,700 | +4.5% | $136,550 | Bachelor's degree |
| Management analysts | 1,075,100 | +8.8% | $101,190 | Bachelor's degree |
| Human resources specialists | 944,300 | +6.2% | $72,910 | Bachelor's degree |
| Training and development specialists | 452,300 | +10.8% | $65,850 | Bachelor's degree |
| Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors | 376,300 | +3.5% | $65,140 | Master's degree |
| Coaches and scouts | 306,500 | +6.4% | $45,920 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology vs similar majors
How Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology stacks up against the closest fields in Psychology on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Psychology · this major | Research and Experimental Psychology | Psychology, Other | Psychology, General | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 47 D | 44 D | 27 F | 26 F |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Break-even | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $67,355 | $59,749 | $58,183 | $50,522 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $54,150 | $37,977 | $53,046 | $32,959 |
| ROI vs cost | +136% | +82% | +40% | -32% |
| Typical debt | $62,078 | $25,202 | $60,822 | $24,340 |
| Colleges offering it | 395 | 61 | 28 | 1,203 |
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Master's | $94,280 | — | +3,667% | Strong return |
| 2 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Professional | $90,782 | — | +3,589% | Strong return |
| 3 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Certificate | $106,856 | $28,245 | +2,658% | Strong return |
| 4 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ | Master's | $118,721 | — | +2,293% | Strong return |
| 5 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Certificate | $88,503 | $24,750 | +1,930% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Houston Houston, TX | Master's | $102,171 | — | +1,902% | Strong return |
| 7 | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA | Certificate | $85,746 | — | +1,702% | Strong return |
| 8 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Associate's | $55,215 | — | +1,584% | Strong return |
| 9 | Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN | Professional | $93,087 | — | +1,447% | Strong return |
| 10 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Certificate | $87,663 | $33,941 | +1,364% | Strong return |
| 11 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | Certificate | $112,862 | — | +1,282% | Strong return |
| 12 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | Certificate | $82,253 | $23,985 | +1,280% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI | Master's | $102,139 | — | +1,233% | Strong return |
| 14 | University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA | Master's | $90,913 | — | +1,197% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of North Texas Denton, TX | Master's | $82,887 | — | +1,111% | Strong return |
| 16 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA | Master's | $84,670 | — | +1,080% | Strong return |
| 17 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | Certificate | $100,275 | $25,500 | +983% | Strong return |
| 18 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI | Master's | $104,633 | $68,549 | +974% | Strong return |
| 19 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Certificate | $89,766 | $41,000 | +941% | Strong return |
| 20 | Long Island University Brookville, NY | Master's | $110,102 | — | +885% | Strong return |
| 21 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO | Master's | $68,328 | — | +880% | Strong return |
| 22 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY | Certificate | $68,849 | $32,747 | +864% | Strong return |
| 23 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI | Master's | $105,677 | — | +864% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | Master's | $80,731 | — | +848% | Strong return |
| 25 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY | Associate's | $55,307 | $12,395 | +844% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.