How much debt do DeSales University 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.

Is a psychology degree from DeSales University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 74% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Pennsylvania programs report higher pay.

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

Q: Do DeSales University psychology graduates stay in Pennsylvania?

Most do. 79% (30 of 38) were working in Pennsylvania one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Private nonprofit university
Center Valley, PA
About 37 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

DeSales University psychology graduates earn more than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $36,655 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,624. It is one of the higher-paying psychology degrees in Pennsylvania.

First-year earnings$36,65585th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$40,83811% more than year one

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

Debt-to-earnings74%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.

	DeSales University	Pennsylvania	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$36,655	$32,974	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$40,838	$50,316	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$27,000	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	74%	82%	78%
Programs compared		48	875

Five years out, DeSales University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $9,478 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.

DeSales UniversityOther 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 11% between the first and fifth year.

DeSales University grads, year 1$36,655

DeSales University grads, year 5$40,838

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.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $286 a month, or 9.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (38 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	20–39%

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.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

79% of graduates (30 of 38) were working in Pennsylvania one year after graduating. Prices in the Allentown area are about the same as the national average.

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 DeSales University

Tuition and fees	$46,800 / year
Average net price after aid	$31,643 / year
Admission rate	77%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	72%
Undergraduate students	2,128

Psychology ranks 11th of 16 bachelor's programs at DeSales University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($79,460), Accounting ($58,809), and Business Administration ($57,580).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Center Valley

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
DeSales UniversityCenter Valley, PA · private nonprofit		$36,655	$27,000
Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · private nonprofit	5 mi	$40,942	$21,160
Moravian UniversityBethlehem, PA · private nonprofit	6 mi	$33,399	$27,000
Muhlenberg CollegeAllentown, PA · private nonprofit	8 mi	$24,828	$26,312
Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA · private nonprofit	14 mi	$36,235	$16,000
Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · public	22 mi	$30,558	$27,000
Ursinus CollegeCollegeville, PA · private nonprofit	24 mi	$29,458	$27,000
Gwynedd Mercy UniversityGwynedd Valley, PA · private nonprofit	25 mi	$38,046	$31,000
Albright CollegeReading, PA · private nonprofit	31 mi	$32,149	$26,500

Common questions

The median graduate earns $36,655 one year after graduating and $40,838 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 DeSales University programs, ranked16 programs by pay and debt