Is a psychology degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 65% 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.

Metropolitan State University of Denver Psychology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Metropolitan State University of Denver psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $24,591, which ranks 8th lowest of 14 psychology bachelor's programs in Colorado. That works out to about $261 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Metropolitan State University of Denver psychology graduates stay in Colorado?

Most do. 88% (161 of 184) were working in Colorado one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Public university
Denver, CO

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Metropolitan State University of Denver psychology graduates earn more than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $37,702 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,591 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,624. It is one of the higher-paying psychology degrees in Colorado.

First-year earnings$37,70290th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$46,75524% more than year one

Median federal debt$24,5918th lowest of 14 Colorado programs

Debt-to-earnings65%Colorado median 74%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	Metropolitan State University of Denver	Colorado	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$37,702	$33,234	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$46,755	$47,223	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$24,591	$23,869	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	65%	74%	78%
Programs compared		14	875

Five years out, Metropolitan State University of Denver graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the Colorado median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Colorado psychology program

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

Metropolitan State University of DenverOther Colorado 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 24% between the first and fifth year.

Metropolitan State University of Denver grads, year 1$37,702

Metropolitan State University of Denver grads, year 5$46,755

All Colorado psychology grads, year 5$47,223

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 $7,837 less in their first year than other graduates. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$36,260Median debt $25,857

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$44,097Median debt $23,928

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $261 a month, or 8.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (216 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	5–9%
Paying down the balance	25–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–24%
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.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

88% of graduates (161 of 184) were working in Colorado one year after graduating. Prices in the Denver area are about 6% above the national average, so a $37,702 salary here buys what about $35,641 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

$113,290

Median pay in Colorado. 1,170 people work in this job in Colorado. 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%: $46,870Top 10%: $161,700

Social Science Research Assistants

$50,430

Median pay in Colorado. 100 people work in this job in Colorado. 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%: $42,590Top 10%: $63,610

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 Metropolitan State University of Denver

In-state tuition and fees	$11,124 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$30,684 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,327 / year
Admission rate	99%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	32%
Undergraduate students	15,002

Psychology ranks 35th of 48 bachelor's programs at Metropolitan State University of Denver by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($77,333), Electrical Engineering Technology ($75,966), and Computer Science ($73,874).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Denver

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public		$37,702	$24,591
University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	5 mi	$31,955	$21,083
Colorado Christian UniversityLakewood, CO · private nonprofit	5 mi	$36,537	$44,088
CU DenverDenver, CO · public	9 mi	$36,482	$28,000
CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	23 mi	$30,176	$20,500
Naropa UniversityBoulder, CO · private nonprofit	23 mi	$17,708	$33,250
University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	49 mi	$32,351	$23,000
Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	58 mi	$37,121	$23,147
UCCSColorado Springs, CO · public	60 mi	$34,607	$25,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $37,702 one year after graduating and $46,755 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in Colorado is $33,234.

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 Colorado 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 Colorado, ranked14 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All Metropolitan State University of Denver programs, ranked48 programs by pay and debt