How much debt do Georgian Court University psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,375, which ranks 4th lowest of 19 psychology bachelor's programs in New Jersey. That works out to about $237 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from Georgian Court University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 62% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 10% or less.

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

Q: Do Georgian Court University psychology graduates stay in New Jersey?

Most do. 92% (60 of 65) were working in New Jersey one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Private nonprofit university
Lakewood, NJ
About 47 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Georgian Court University psychology graduates earn more than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $36,117 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $22,375 in federal loans, less than at 78% of psychology programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying psychology degrees in New Jersey.

First-year earnings$36,11783rd percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$52,30045% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,3754th lowest of 19 New Jersey programs

Debt-to-earnings62%New Jersey median 86%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	Georgian Court University	New Jersey	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$36,117	$28,969	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$52,300	$53,838	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,375	$25,000	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	62%	86%	78%
Programs compared		19	875

Five years out, Georgian Court University graduates earn more than the national figure and about the same as the New Jersey median.

Debt and first-year pay at every New Jersey psychology program

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

Georgian Court UniversityOther New Jersey 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 45% between the first and fifth year.

Georgian Court University grads, year 1$36,117

Georgian Court University grads, year 5$52,300

All New Jersey psychology grads, year 5$53,838

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 $4,704 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$33,152Median debt $26,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$37,856Median debt $18,496

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $237 a month, or 7.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (115 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10% or less
Paying down the balance	20–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	30–39%
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, 21 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $29,092.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

92% of graduates (60 of 65) were working in New Jersey one year after graduating. Prices in the New York area are about 13% above the national average, so a $36,117 salary here buys what about $32,086 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

$127,090

Median pay in New Jersey. 2,700 people work in this job in New Jersey. 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%: $57,180Top 10%: $224,050

Social Science Research Assistants

$62,760

Median pay in New Jersey. 370 people work in this job in New Jersey. 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%: $37,960Top 10%: $105,390

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 Georgian Court University

Tuition and fees	$37,260 / year
Average net price after aid	$19,285 / year
Admission rate	79%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	54%
Undergraduate students	1,195

Psychology ranks 6th of 7 bachelor's programs at Georgian Court University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($85,963), Accounting ($53,852), and English ($44,982).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Lakewood

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Georgian Court UniversityLakewood, NJ · private nonprofit		$36,117	$22,375
Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, NJ · private nonprofit	17 mi	$28,590	$27,000
Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ · private nonprofit	30 mi	$38,118	$27,000
RutgersNew Brunswick, NJ · public	30 mi	$31,280	$25,000
TCNJEwing, NJ · public	31 mi	$28,920	$24,905
College of Staten IslandStaten Island, NY · public	35 mi	$28,118	$16,607
Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	40 mi	$29,802	$10,914
Kean UniversityUnion, NJ · public	40 mi	$31,475	$25,000
Holy Family UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	40 mi	$24,833	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $36,117 one year after graduating and $52,300 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in New Jersey is $28,969.

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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey, ranked19 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All Georgian Court University programs, ranked7 programs by pay and debt