How much debt do Judson University psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $25,000, which ranks 15th lowest of 35 psychology bachelor's programs in Illinois. That works out to about $265 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from Judson University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 72% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Illinois programs report higher pay.

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

Q: Do Judson University psychology graduates stay in Illinois?

Most do. 79% (22 of 28) were working in Illinois one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Private nonprofit university
Elgin, IL
About 19 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Judson University psychology graduates earn more than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $34,964 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,624. It is one of the higher-paying psychology degrees in Illinois.

First-year earnings$34,96477th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Median federal debt$25,00015th lowest of 35 Illinois programs

Debt-to-earnings72%Illinois median 77%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	Judson University	Illinois	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$34,964	$32,104	$31,479
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,000	$25,647	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	72%	77%	78%
Programs compared		35	875

Debt and first-year pay at every Illinois psychology program

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

Judson UniversityOther Illinois programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $265 a month, or 9.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

79% of graduates (22 of 28) were working in Illinois one year after graduating. Prices in the Chicago area are about 4% above the national average, so a $34,964 salary here buys what about $33,751 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

$83,750

Median pay in Illinois. 5,810 people work in this job in Illinois. 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%: $36,580Top 10%: $168,730

Social Science Research Assistants

$64,890

Median pay in Illinois. 250 people work in this job in Illinois. 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%: $37,460Top 10%: $116,530

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 Judson University

Tuition and fees	$31,360 / year
Average net price after aid	$18,558 / year
Admission rate	48%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	60%
Undergraduate students	708

Psychology ranks 5th of 5 bachelor's programs at Judson University by first-year earnings. The top three are Business Administration ($45,731), Architecture ($41,033), and Human Services ($37,671).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Elgin

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Judson UniversityElgin, IL · private nonprofit		$34,964	$25,000
Wheaton CollegeWheaton, IL · private nonprofit	16 mi	$31,658	$22,625
Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, IL · private nonprofit	21 mi	$32,553	$23,000
North Central CollegeNaperville, IL · private nonprofit	21 mi	$27,688	$26,655
Aurora UniversityAurora, IL · private nonprofit	21 mi	$31,484	$23,250
Benedictine UniversityLisle, IL · private nonprofit	22 mi	$32,314	$27,000
Trinity International University-IllinoisDeerfield, IL · private nonprofit	23 mi	$39,980	$24,562
Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL · public	26 mi	$33,150	$24,194
Dominican UniversityRiver Forest, IL · private nonprofit	26 mi	$30,846	$23,832

Common questions

The median graduate earns $34,964 one year after graduating. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in Illinois is $32,104.

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 Illinois 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 Illinois, ranked35 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All Judson University programs, ranked5 programs by pay and debt