How much debt do Clemson University psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,687, which ranks the lowest of 17 psychology bachelor's programs in South Carolina. That works out to about $241 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from Clemson University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 71% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 5% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several South Carolina programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

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

Q: Do Clemson University psychology graduates stay in South Carolina?

Most do. 66% (139 of 210) were working in South Carolina one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Public university
Clemson, SC
About 358 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Clemson University psychology graduates earn about what psychology graduates earn nationally, $32,146 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $22,687 in federal loans, less than at 76% of psychology programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying psychology degrees in South Carolina.

First-year earnings$32,14655th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$54,01568% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,687The lowest of 17 South Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings71%South Carolina median 101%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	Clemson University	South Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$32,146	$27,450	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$54,015	$40,502	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,687	$27,000	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	71%	101%	78%
Programs compared		18	875

Five years out, Clemson University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $13,514 more than the South Carolina median.

Debt and first-year pay at every South Carolina psychology program

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

Clemson UniversityOther South Carolina 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 68% between the first and fifth year.

Clemson University grads, year 1$32,146

Clemson University grads, year 5$54,015

All South Carolina psychology grads, year 5$40,502

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

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned slightly more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $26,000 against $19,500.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$33,897Median debt $26,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$30,857Median debt $19,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $241 a month, or 9.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (202 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10–14%
Paying down the balance	20–24%
Paused payments (forbearance)	15–19%
In default	5% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 93 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $36,378.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

66% of graduates (139 of 210) were working in South Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Greenville area are about 7% below the national average, so a $32,146 salary here buys what about $34,469 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

$92,700

Median pay in South Carolina. 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%: $59,600Top 10%: $131,420

Social Science Research Assistants

$64,490

Median pay in South Carolina. 500 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $48,200Top 10%: $130,300

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 Clemson University

In-state tuition and fees	$15,554 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$40,866 / year
Average net price after aid	$22,253 / year
Admission rate	38%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	87%
Undergraduate students	23,300

Psychology ranks 40th of 50 bachelor's programs at Clemson University by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrical Engineering ($77,925), Computer Engineering ($77,672), and Information Science ($76,549).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Clemson

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public		$32,146	$22,687
Furman UniversityGreenville, SC · private nonprofit	28 mi	$29,395	$27,000
North Greenville UniversityTigerville, SC · private nonprofit	38 mi	$34,044	$23,250
Piedmont UniversityDemorest, GA · private nonprofit	41 mi	$23,665	$33,000
Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC · public	48 mi	$27,505	$23,250
Lander UniversityGreenwood, SC · public	51 mi	$26,626	$27,062
Truett McConnell UniversityCleveland, GA · private nonprofit	52 mi	$25,461	$26,496
USC UpstateSpartanburg, SC · public	54 mi	$29,720	$27,000
Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC · private nonprofit	55 mi	$34,429	$25,763

Common questions

The median graduate earns $32,146 one year after graduating and $54,015 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in South Carolina is $27,450.

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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina, ranked18 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All Clemson University programs, ranked50 programs by pay and debt