How much debt do George Mason psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $21,000, which ranks 5th lowest of 26 psychology bachelor's programs in Virginia. That works out to about $223 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from George Mason worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 58% 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.

George Mason Psychology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do George Mason psychology graduates stay in Virginia?

Most do. 85% (262 of 310) were working in Virginia one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Public university
Fairfax, VA
About 383 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

George Mason psychology graduates earn more than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $36,326 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $21,000 in federal loans, less than at 84% of psychology programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying psychology degrees in Virginia.

First-year earnings$36,32684th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$56,65356% more than year one

Median federal debt$21,0005th lowest of 26 Virginia programs

Debt-to-earnings58%Virginia median 78%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	George Mason	Virginia	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$36,326	$32,615	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$56,653	$51,332	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$21,000	$26,000	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	58%	78%	78%
Programs compared		26	875

Five years out, George Mason graduates earn more than the national figure and about $5,321 more than the Virginia median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Virginia psychology program

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

George MasonOther Virginia 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 56% between the first and fifth year.

George Mason grads, year 1$36,326

George Mason grads, year 5$56,653

All Virginia psychology grads, year 5$51,332

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 $1,353 less in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed more. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$35,703Median debt $22,304

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$37,056Median debt $19,888

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $223 a month, or 7.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (329 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10–14%
Paying down the balance	25–29%
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, 82 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $36,643.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

85% of graduates (262 of 310) were working in Virginia one year after graduating. Prices in the Washington area are about 9% above the national average, so a $36,326 salary here buys what about $33,362 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

$86,520

Median pay in Virginia. 2,140 people work in this job in Virginia. 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%: $41,990Top 10%: $176,080

Social Science Research Assistants

$53,260

Median pay in Virginia. 700 people work in this job in Virginia. 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%: $42,550Top 10%: $83,760

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 George Mason

In-state tuition and fees	$14,220 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$38,688 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,915 / year
Admission rate	87%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	68%
Undergraduate students	27,752

Psychology ranks 40th of 51 bachelor's programs at George Mason by first-year earnings. The top three are Homeland Security ($90,956), Computer Engineering ($87,466), and Systems Engineering ($84,942).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Fairfax

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
George MasonFairfax, VA · public		$36,326	$21,000
Marymount UniversityArlington, VA · private nonprofit	11 mi	$33,277	$27,000
Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	14 mi	$51,959	$17,500
American UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	14 mi	$25,773	$23,799
Howard UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	17 mi	$18,934	$25,000
Trinity Washington UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	18 mi	$26,065	$32,866
Gallaudet UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	18 mi	$20,185	$14,097
Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC · private nonprofit	18 mi	$24,106	$26,000
University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · public	22 mi	$35,933	$20,500

Common questions

The median graduate earns $36,326 one year after graduating and $56,653 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in Virginia is $32,615.

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 Virginia 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 Virginia, ranked26 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All George Mason programs, ranked51 programs by pay and debt