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Psychology at University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Psychology, General

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $36,121/yr (14% vs median)

AI Risk High (49% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (125,000 openings/yr)

ROI 7.7x earnings multiple (2.8x out-of-state)

Ranked #68 of 926 Psychology, General programs Top 10%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Psychology graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$657K	$643K	$572K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	7.8x	7.7x	6.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	2.8x	2.8x	2.5x
Probability of Field Employment	51%	47%	34%
DegreeOutlook Score	47	46	44

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$83,944

Out-of-state: $232,056 (2.8x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$91,524

-9% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$19,268

6.4 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$67,873

88% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

University of Virginia-Main Campus's Psychology graduates start at $36,121/yr — above the $31,705 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The earnings-to-cost ratio of 7.7x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.

Some AI exposure exists in Psychology's typical career paths, with 49% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 13% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $19,268 represents roughly 6 months of the $36,121 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #68 of 926 programs, University of Virginia-Main Campus's Psychology program falls in the top 10%, outperforming most peers on financial outcomes.

Five-year earnings of $67,873 show a 88% jump from the $36,121 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.

About University of Virginia-Main Campus

Admission to University of Virginia-Main Campus is competitive, with 17% of applicants accepted, with a mid-sized student body of 17,315 in Charlottesville, VA.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Virginia-Main Campus →

Top Career Paths

Managers, all other $136,550/yr

Psychologists, all other $117,580/yr

Industrial-organizational psychologists $109,840/yr

View all 6 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Psychology at Other Schools

Other Majors at University of Virginia-Main Campus

Consider the Trade Route?

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Psychology at University of Virginia-Main Campus?

A score of 46/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Psychology. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Psychology careers?

With 49% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $572,028 in decade earnings vs $657,026 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →