How much debt do IU Northwest psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,500, which ranks 8th lowest of 24 psychology bachelor's programs in Indiana. That works out to about $249 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from IU Northwest worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 98% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. Compare the cost with other Indiana programs before deciding.

IU Northwest Psychology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do IU Northwest psychology graduates stay in Indiana?

Most do. 97% (31 of 32) were working in Indiana one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Public university
Gary, IN
About 44 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

IU Northwest psychology graduates earn less than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $24,061 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,500 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,624. Several Indiana programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$24,0616th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$39,50764% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,5008th lowest of 24 Indiana programs

Debt-to-earnings98%Indiana median 78%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	IU Northwest	Indiana	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$24,061	$32,532	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$39,507	$45,499	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,500	$26,375	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	98%	78%	78%
Programs compared		24	875

Five years out, IU Northwest graduates earn less than the national figure and about $5,992 less than the Indiana median. Several Indiana programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every Indiana psychology program

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

IU NorthwestOther Indiana 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 64% between the first and fifth year.

IU Northwest grads, year 1$24,061

IU Northwest grads, year 5$39,507

All Indiana psychology grads, year 5$45,499

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 $249 a month, or 12.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (48 borrowers)	Share
Paused payments (forbearance)	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

97% of graduates (31 of 32) were working in Indiana one year after graduating. Prices in the Chicago area are about 4% above the national average, so a $24,061 salary here buys what about $23,226 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

$84,990

Median pay in Indiana. 1,850 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $56,200Top 10%: $129,110

Social Science Research Assistants

$57,020

Median pay in Indiana. 210 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $30,580Top 10%: $105,750

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 IU Northwest

In-state tuition and fees	$8,424 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$22,811 / year
Average net price after aid	$5,130 / year
Admission rate	73%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	37%
Undergraduate students	2,661

Psychology ranks 12th of 12 bachelor's programs at IU Northwest by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($73,335), Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($68,086), and Dental Hygiene and Assisting ($57,654).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Gary

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
IU NorthwestGary, IN · public		$24,061	$23,500
Purdue NorthwestHammond, IN · public	7 mi	$27,436	$23,929
Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN · private nonprofit	17 mi	$31,057	$27,000
Chicago StateChicago, IL · public	18 mi	$29,967	$39,075
Governors StateUniversity Park, IL · public	21 mi	$29,449	$25,375
Saint Xavier UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	22 mi	$31,094	$25,740
Trinity Christian CollegePalos Heights, IL · private nonprofit	24 mi	$32,609	$27,000
Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	27 mi	$33,795	$26,000
DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	27 mi	$33,820	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $24,061 one year after graduating and $39,507 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in Indiana is $32,532.

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 Indiana 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 Indiana, ranked24 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All IU Northwest programs, ranked13 programs by pay and debt