by our College Data Analytics Team
[Child Development Psychology](/majors/psychology/child-development-psychology/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their child development psychology graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find where child development psychology graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send child development psychology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked University Of California Los Angeles the top school for child development psychology graduate earnings in California. University Of California Los Angeles is a public school located in the city of Los Angeles. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from University Of California Los Angeles typically earn about $78,384 annually.
University Of California Santa Barbara came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. University Of California Santa Barbara is a public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. Child Development Psychology graduates of University Of California Santa Barbara earn a median of about $66,321 a year early in their careers.
University Of California Davis came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. University Of California Davis is a public school located in the suburb of Davis. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,401.
University Of California Irvine produces some of the highest-paid graduates in child development psychology, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of California Irvine is a public school located in the city of Irvine. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,639.
A rank of #5 makes University Of California San Diego one of the highest-paying schools for child development psychology. University Of California San Diego is a public school located in the city of La Jolla. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $70,223.
University Of California Berkeley earned the #6 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. University Of California Berkeley is a public school located in the city of Berkeley. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $34,450.
University Of California Riverside ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. Set in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a public institution. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $25,654.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their child development psychology graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.