Is a psychology degree from North Carolina Wesleyan University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 101% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.

North Carolina Wesleyan University Psychology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do North Carolina Wesleyan University psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $30,830, which ranks 23rd lowest of 24 psychology bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $327 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do North Carolina Wesleyan University psychology graduates stay in North Carolina?

Most do. 85% (72 of 85) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Private nonprofit university
Rocky Mount, NC
About 35 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

North Carolina Wesleyan University psychology graduates earn about what psychology graduates earn nationally, $30,570 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $30,830 in federal loans, more than at 93% of psychology programs in the country. Several North Carolina programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$30,57041st percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$43,00241% more than year one

Median federal debt$30,83023rd lowest of 24 North Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings101%North Carolina median 86%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	North Carolina Wesleyan University	North Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$30,570	$29,409	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$43,002	$44,066	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$30,830	$26,500	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	101%	86%	78%
Programs compared		24	875

Five years out, North Carolina Wesleyan University graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the North Carolina median.

Debt and first-year pay at every North Carolina psychology program

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

North Carolina Wesleyan UniversityOther North Carolina 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 41% between the first and fifth year.

North Carolina Wesleyan University grads, year 1$30,570

North Carolina Wesleyan University grads, year 5$43,002

All North Carolina psychology grads, year 5$44,066

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 $327 a month, or 12.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (140 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10% or less
Paying down the balance	10% or less
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, 27 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $17,070.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

85% of graduates (72 of 85) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Rocky Mount area are about 12% below the national average, so a $30,570 salary here buys what about $34,734 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

$92,130

Median pay in North Carolina. 2,770 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $52,890Top 10%: $213,160

Social Science Research Assistants

$63,710

Median pay in North Carolina. 2,930 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $49,980Top 10%: $81,650

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 North Carolina Wesleyan University

Tuition and fees	$35,736 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,432 / year
Admission rate	80%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	42%
Undergraduate students	1,214

Psychology ranks 6th of 6 bachelor's programs at North Carolina Wesleyan University by first-year earnings. The top three are Marketing ($45,880), Computer and Information Science ($42,142), and Accounting ($39,220).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Rocky Mount

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
North Carolina Wesleyan UniversityRocky Mount, NC · private nonprofit		$30,570	$30,830
East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC · public	36 mi	$30,086	$24,774
Chowan UniversityMurfreesboro, NC · private nonprofit	47 mi	$30,076	$31,000
William Peace UniversityRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	51 mi	$28,202	$27,000
NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	53 mi	$29,738	$22,373
Meredith CollegeRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	53 mi	$28,501	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $30,570 one year after graduating and $43,002 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $29,409.

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, ranked24 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All North Carolina Wesleyan University programs, ranked6 programs by pay and debt