How much debt do University of the Pacific psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $24,000, which ranks 38th lowest of 54 psychology bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $254 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from University of the Pacific worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 104% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

University of the Pacific Psychology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do University of the Pacific psychology graduates stay in California?

Most do. 90% (38 of 42) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Private nonprofit university
Stockton, CA
About 51 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of the Pacific psychology graduates earn less than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $23,077 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,624. Several California programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$23,0773rd percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$65,588184% more than year one

Median federal debt$24,00038th lowest of 54 California programs

Debt-to-earnings104%California median 65%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	University of the Pacific	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$23,077	$30,592	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$65,588	$54,842	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$24,000	$20,500	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	104%	65%	78%
Programs compared		54	875

Five years out, University of the Pacific graduates earn more than the national figure and about $10,747 more than the California median.

Debt and first-year pay at every California psychology program

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

University of the PacificOther California 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 184% between the first and fifth year.

University of the Pacific grads, year 1$23,077

University of the Pacific grads, year 5$65,588

All California psychology grads, year 5$54,842

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 more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $25,000 against $19,500.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$34,632Median debt $25,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$17,334Median debt $19,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $254 a month, or 13.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (43 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	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. Separately, 27 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $67,288.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

90% of graduates (38 of 42) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Stockton area are about 5% above the national average, so a $23,077 salary here buys what about $21,959 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

$116,000

Median pay in California. 12,840 people work in this job in California. 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%: $62,900Top 10%: $188,050

Social Science Research Assistants

$60,250

Median pay in California. 5,300 people work in this job in California. 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%: $38,060Top 10%: $117,070

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 University of the Pacific

Tuition and fees	$57,080 / year
Average net price after aid	$25,447 / year
Admission rate	71%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	69%
Undergraduate students	3,204

Psychology ranks 8th of 9 bachelor's programs at University of the Pacific by first-year earnings. The top three are Other Interdisciplinary Studies ($104,803), Computer Science ($90,476), and Biomedical Engineering ($77,099).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Stockton

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of the PacificStockton, CA · private nonprofit		$23,077	$24,000
Stanislaus StateTurlock, CA · public	40 mi	$29,069	$13,920
Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	40 mi	$32,603	$15,500
Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaMoraga, CA · private nonprofit	45 mi	$28,018	$26,998
Cal State East BayHayward, CA · public	46 mi	$37,702	$15,000
Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA · private nonprofit	56 mi	$38,587	$17,667
William Jessup UniversityRocklin, CA · private nonprofit	58 mi	$31,905	$21,500

Common questions

The median graduate earns $23,077 one year after graduating and $65,588 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in California is $30,592.

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 California 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 California, ranked54 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All University of the Pacific programs, ranked9 programs by pay and debt