How much debt do Avila University psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $31,000, which ranks 22nd lowest of 22 psychology bachelor's programs in Missouri. That works out to about $329 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from Avila University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 84% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. Compare the cost with other Missouri programs before deciding.

Avila University Psychology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Private nonprofit university
Kansas City, MO
About 14 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Avila University psychology graduates earn more than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $36,957 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $31,000 in federal loans, more than at 93% of psychology programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying psychology degrees in Missouri.

First-year earnings$36,95787th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$51,15838% more than year one

Median federal debt$31,00022nd lowest of 22 Missouri programs

Debt-to-earnings84%Missouri median 80%, national 78%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Missouri and national columns are the medians across all psychology bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Avila University	Missouri	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$36,957	$31,663	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$51,158	$44,441	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$31,000	$25,500	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	84%	80%	78%
Programs compared		23	875

Five years out, Avila University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $6,717 more than the Missouri median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Missouri psychology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Missouri medians.

Avila UniversityOther Missouri programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 38% between the first and fifth year.

Avila University grads, year 1$36,957

Avila University grads, year 5$51,158

All Missouri psychology grads, year 5$44,441

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $329 a month, or 10.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Kansas City area are about 7% below the national average, so a $36,957 salary here buys what about $39,935 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to psychology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

$99,410

Median pay in Missouri. 840 people work in this job in Missouri. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 12% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Bottom 10%: $45,770Top 10%: $141,810

Social Science Research Assistants

$65,940

Median pay in Missouri. 750 people work in this job in Missouri. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $39,250Top 10%: $79,860

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

$193,950

Median pay nationwide. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 300 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

About Avila University

Tuition and fees	$42,000 / year
Average net price after aid	$16,053 / year
Admission rate	88%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	52%
Undergraduate students	1,312

Psychology ranks 4th of 5 bachelor's programs at Avila University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($67,179), Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($55,605), and Business ($47,530).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Kansas City

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Avila UniversityKansas City, MO · private nonprofit		$36,957	$31,000
Rockhurst UniversityKansas City, MO · private nonprofit	8 mi	$36,152	$25,000
UMKCKansas City, MO · public	8 mi	$32,224	$21,000
Park UniversityParkville, MO · private nonprofit	20 mi	$30,973	$29,577
William Jewell CollegeLiberty, MO · private nonprofit	25 mi	$31,232	$23,969
University of Saint MaryLeavenworth, KS · private nonprofit	30 mi	$31,177	$31,000
University of KansasLawrence, KS · public	35 mi	$36,913	$22,415
Ottawa University-OttawaOttawa, KS · private nonprofit	42 mi	$39,596	$27,562
Benedictine CollegeAtchison, KS · private nonprofit	53 mi	$28,149	$25,443

Common questions

The median graduate earns $36,957 one year after graduating and $51,158 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in Missouri is $31,663.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Missouri comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the psychology program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Psychology bachelor's programs in Missouri, ranked23 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All Avila University programs, ranked5 programs by pay and debt