Is a psychology degree from Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 91% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. Compare the cost with other Pennsylvania programs before deciding.

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Psychology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 18th lowest of 48 psychology bachelor's programs in Pennsylvania. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania psychology graduates stay in Pennsylvania?

Most do. 84% (137 of 163) were working in Pennsylvania one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Public university
Bloomsburg, PA
About 141 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania psychology graduates earn about what psychology graduates earn nationally, $29,535 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,624. Several Pennsylvania programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$29,53534th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$45,43354% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,00018th lowest of 48 Pennsylvania programs

Debt-to-earnings91%Pennsylvania median 82%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$29,535	$32,974	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$45,433	$50,316	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$27,000	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	91%	82%	78%
Programs compared		48	875

Five years out, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania graduates earn less than the national figure and about $4,883 less than the Pennsylvania median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Pennsylvania psychology program

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

Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaOther Pennsylvania 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 54% between the first and fifth year.

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania grads, year 1$29,535

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania grads, year 5$45,433

All Pennsylvania psychology grads, year 5$50,316

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 more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $30,500 against $26,851.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$33,044Median debt $30,500

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$26,145Median debt $26,851

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $286 a month, or 11.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (148 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10% or less
Paying down the balance	20–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	10–19%
In default	10% 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, 54 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $23,699.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

84% of graduates (137 of 163) were working in Pennsylvania one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Pennsylvania outside metro areas are about 10% below the national average, so a $29,535 salary here buys what about $32,696 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

$91,870

Median pay in Pennsylvania. 3,140 people work in this job in Pennsylvania. 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%: $61,340Top 10%: $175,410

Social Science Research Assistants

$54,610

Median pay in Pennsylvania. 860 people work in this job in Pennsylvania. 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%: $44,710Top 10%: $81,640

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 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

In-state tuition and fees	$11,046 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$22,870 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,699 / year
Admission rate	93%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	54%
Undergraduate students	9,210

Psychology ranks 35th of 37 bachelor's programs at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($77,809), Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($63,826), and Computer Science ($61,299).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Bloomsburg

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA · public		$29,535	$27,000
Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA · private nonprofit	23 mi	$51,645	$27,000
Susquehanna UniversitySelinsgrove, PA · private nonprofit	27 mi	$28,186	$27,000
Lycoming CollegeWilliamsport, PA · private nonprofit	33 mi	$34,534	$27,000
Wilkes UniversityWilkes-Barre, PA · private nonprofit	33 mi	$29,007	$26,000
King's CollegeWilkes-Barre, PA · private nonprofit	34 mi	$39,818	$27,000
Lebanon Valley CollegeAnnville, PA · private nonprofit	47 mi	$37,267	$27,000
Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · public	49 mi	$30,558	$27,000
University of ScrantonScranton, PA · private nonprofit	49 mi	$33,290	$26,131

Common questions

The median graduate earns $29,535 one year after graduating and $45,433 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in Pennsylvania is $32,974.

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, ranked48 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania programs, ranked39 programs by pay and debt