Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology

97
Schools
First Professional
Credential Level
$65,239
National Avg Earnings

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology is tracked across 97 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the first professional credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.

Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $65,239, calculated from 9 schools with published earnings data. The earnings distribution stretches from $42,129 at the low end to $98,429 at the top, with a 25th-75th percentile band between $54,035 and $69,745 around a median of $63,129. The top-reporting institution in this program is Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus at $98,429. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.

Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal — ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.

Adler University accounts for 65.2% of all Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology first professional credential graduates

That concentration — well above the 5% national median for largest-entity share — means Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. That school produced 73 graduates in the most recent cohort, anchoring a meaningful slice of national supply for this field. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology first professional credential median earnings varies 2.3× across entities

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology first professional credential median earnings ranges from $42,129 (lowest) to $98,429 (highest), a spread of $56,300. That spread reflects typical sectoral variation between selective research institutions and broader access institutions. Earnings are measured roughly one year after completion using IRS records linked to federal aid recipients (see https://www.irs.gov/) — not all completers are captured, but the school-level medians correlate strongly with longer-term earnings trajectories.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file; U.S. Treasury earnings linkage College Scorecard Field of Study file; U.S. Treasury earnings linkage

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.88 — near the typical range (US average ~1) — aligned with the typical 1:1 ratio that defines federal gainful-employment thresholds

debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt — private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Variation between sub-units within Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology is typically wider than the Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file College Scorecard Field of Study file

Earnings Distribution

Min
$42,129
25th %ile
$54,035
Median
$63,129
75th %ile
$69,745
Max
$98,429
$42,129 $98,429

Top Schools for This Program

School Name State Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus NJ 35 $98,429 $69,076
La Sierra University CA $83,990 $89,291
Lewis & Clark College OR $69,745
Adler University IL 73 $68,666
Minnesota State University Moorhead MN $63,129
Rider University NJ $60,771
California Institute of Integral Studies CA 4 $54,035
Appalachian State University NC $46,254
Columbia International University SC $42,129

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology graduates earn?
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology graduates earn $65,239 on average across 97 schools. Earnings range from $42,129 to $98,429 depending on the institution.
Which school pays the most for Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology?
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus has the highest reported median earnings for Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology graduates at $98,429, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology?
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology programs typically award a First Professional credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.

About This Data

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching protocol used by the College Scorecard.