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Psychology Graduate Salaries in California

Federal earnings data for every California college offering Psychology, ranked by 10-year median graduate salary. Sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard — real tax-reported income, not surveys.

Median earnings
$64,980
10 years after enrollment
Highest-earning school
$104,736
Claremont McKenna College
Schools analyzed
48
in California

Psychology in California. Psychology pairs well with healthcare, HR, education, and law. Strong undergraduate programs feed competitive graduate school placements that drive long-term earnings.

Typical career paths: Clinical Psychologist (with grad school), School Counselor, HR Specialist, Market Researcher, Social Worker. Median starting salary range: $45,000–$70,000. School choice can swing graduate earnings by 30–60% — which is why we rank by federal data, not prestige.

Top Psychology schools in California by graduate earnings
Ranked by 10-year median earnings · all schools have a Psychology program
#School10-yr earningsNet price/yr
1Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA
$104,736$28,849
2University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
$92,446$13,481
3California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
$90,768$16,665
4Golden Gate University
San Francisco, CA
$87,434
5University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA
$84,943$12,470
6Dominican University of California
San Rafael, CA
$84,713$35,333
7University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
$82,511$12,548
8University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
$80,838$14,741
9University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
$80,735$14,251
10Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA
$78,349$48,381
11Menlo College
Atherton, CA
$76,419$31,100
12University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
$74,915$16,109
13Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA
$72,379$21,413
14California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA
$71,902$11,531
15California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA
$71,401$9,320
16Chapman University
Orange, CA
$70,070$46,555
17California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA
$68,712$30,109
18University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
$68,396$17,890
19University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA
$67,699$14,304
20National University
San Diego, CA
$67,548$22,878
21Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, CA
$66,677$22,212
22Alliant International University-San Diego
San Diego, CA
$66,666
23University of La Verne
La Verne, CA
$65,464$20,161
24Concordia University-Irvine
Irvine, CA
$65,083$28,115
25California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
$64,876$9,338

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are 10-year median income for graduates of each institution (all majors, since program-level earnings are released only for select fields). Refreshed every 24 hours.

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Frequently asked questions

What do Psychology graduates earn in California?

The median 10-year earnings for Psychology graduates from California colleges is $64,980, with a range from $36,526 at lower-earning schools to $104,736 at top-earning schools. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Which California school has the highest Psychology graduate salary?

Claremont McKenna College ranks first among California schools offering Psychology, with a 10-year median graduate salary of $104,736.

How is "graduate salary" measured?

These figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. They reflect actual federal tax-reported income of all graduates 10 years after enrollment — including those who pursued graduate school and those who took industry jobs. They are not survey-based.

Are these salaries adjusted for cost of living?

No. These are raw federal earnings figures. California salaries should be considered in context of local cost of living. For example, $90,000 in California has different purchasing power than $90,000 in North Carolina.

Disclaimer: DecideMyCampus is an independent information aggregation service — not a licensed counselor, advisor, or educational consultant. All data is sourced from publicly available U.S. federal databases (College Scorecard, IPEDS) and is provided for informational purposes only. We do not promote or endorse any institution. Rankings are algorithmic outputs based on federal data — not professional evaluations or guarantees of outcomes. We are not responsible for any college admission, financial, or enrollment decision made using this site. Always verify information directly with institutions and consult licensed professionals. Full Terms · Privacy · Cookies