How much debt do Villanova University psychology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $21,500, which ranks 4th lowest of 48 psychology bachelor's programs in Pennsylvania. That works out to about $228 a month over 10 years.

Is a psychology degree from Villanova University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 61% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 78%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Pennsylvania programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

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

Bachelor's in Psychology, General
Private nonprofit university
Villanova, PA
About 89 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Villanova University psychology graduates earn more than graduates of most psychology programs nationally, $35,462 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $21,500 in federal loans, less than at 82% of psychology programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying psychology degrees in Pennsylvania.

First-year earnings$35,46280th percentile of 875 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$73,774108% more than year one

Median federal debt$21,5004th lowest of 48 Pennsylvania programs

Debt-to-earnings61%Pennsylvania median 82%, national 78%

How it compares

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

	Villanova University	Pennsylvania	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$35,462	$32,974	$31,479
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$73,774	$50,316	$49,019
Median federal debt at graduation	$21,500	$27,000	$25,624
Debt as share of first-year pay	61%	82%	78%
Programs compared		48	875

Five years out, Villanova University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $23,459 more than the Pennsylvania median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Pennsylvania psychology program

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

Villanova UniversityOther Pennsylvania 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 108% between the first and fifth year.

Villanova University grads, year 1$35,462

Villanova University grads, year 5$73,774

All Pennsylvania psychology grads, year 5$50,316

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 $228 a month, or 7.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (48 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	40–59%

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, 19 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $47,796.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Philadelphia area are about 3% above the national average, so a $35,462 salary here buys what about $34,579 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

$91,870

Median pay in Pennsylvania. 3,140 people work in this job in Pennsylvania. 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%: $61,340Top 10%: $175,410

Social Science Research Assistants

$54,610

Median pay in Pennsylvania. 860 people work in this job in Pennsylvania. 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%: $44,710Top 10%: $81,640

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 Villanova University

Tuition and fees	$67,776 / year
Average net price after aid	$43,756 / year
Admission rate	27%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	92%
Undergraduate students	6,938

Psychology ranks 25th of 28 bachelor's programs at Villanova University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($94,228), Electrical Engineering ($90,302), and Nursing ($86,241).

Other psychology bachelor's programs near Villanova

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA · private nonprofit		$35,462	$21,500
Chestnut Hill CollegePhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	7 mi	$33,918	$27,166
Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	10 mi	$39,866	$30,000
La Salle UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	10 mi	$32,348	$27,000
Arcadia UniversityGlenside, PA · private nonprofit	10 mi	$29,772	$27,000
Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	10 mi	$30,054	$26,000
Widener UniversityChester, PA · private nonprofit	12 mi	$37,224	$27,000
Gwynedd Mercy UniversityGwynedd Valley, PA · private nonprofit	12 mi	$38,046	$31,000
Ursinus CollegeCollegeville, PA · private nonprofit	12 mi	$29,458	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $35,462 one year after graduating and $73,774 five years after. The median across psychology bachelor's programs in Pennsylvania is $32,974.

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, ranked48 programs by pay and debt Psychology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked875 programs by pay and debt All Villanova University programs, ranked28 programs by pay and debt