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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
$70,012
10 years after enrollment
Highest-earning school
$127,532
Claremont McKenna College
Schools analyzed
49
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
$127,532$26,039
2University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
$100,212$14,538
3California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
$96,304$18,832
4University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA
$96,197$14,794
5Golden Gate University
San Francisco, CA
$90,346—
6Dominican University of California
San Rafael, CA
$90,053$35,567
7University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
$88,581$14,659
8University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
$86,999$14,318
9Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA
$86,034$50,518
10University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
$83,432$13,866
11University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
$82,568$16,807
12Chapman University
Orange, CA
$80,694$46,708
13Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science
Los Angeles, CA
$79,596$31,400
14Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA
$78,572$27,235
15California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA
$77,620$26,445
16California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA
$77,464$9,404
17Menlo College
Atherton, CA
$76,858$32,324
18Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA
$75,789—
19University of La Verne
La Verne, CA
$74,115$20,523
20National University
San Diego, CA
$73,988$24,008
21California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA
$73,868$6,858
22University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA
$72,974$12,672
23Concordia University-Irvine
Irvine, CA
$72,184$29,761
24Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, CA
$71,595$22,597
25California State University-Chico
Chico, CA
$70,012$14,157

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 $70,012, with a range from $39,944 at lower-earning schools to $127,532 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 $127,532.

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