by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Psychology](/majors/psychology/general-psychology/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 27 schools on the early-career earnings of their general psychology graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send general psychology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in general psychology, no school beat Lake Superior State University this year. Lake Superior State University is a public school located in the town of Sault Ste Marie. General Psychology graduates of Lake Superior State University earn a median of about $52,046 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Alma College earned it the #2 place for general psychology. Set in the town of Alma, Alma College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general psychology degree recipients from Alma College typically earn about $47,510 annually.
Siena Heights University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in general psychology, landing the #3 spot this year. Siena Heights University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Adrian. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,898.
Strong graduate earnings at Concordia University Ann Arbor earned it the #4 place for general psychology. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, Concordia University Ann Arbor is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career general psychology graduates from Concordia University Ann Arbor make a median of around $45,302 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Lansing Community College one of the highest-paying schools for general psychology. Located in the city of Lansing, Lansing Community College is a public institution. General Psychology graduates of Lansing Community College earn a median of about $38,511 a year early in their careers.
Michigan Technological University earned the #6 position for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Michigan Technological University is a public school located in the town of Houghton. After graduating, general psychology degree recipients from Michigan Technological University typically earn about $41,654 annually.
Michigan State University earned the #7 position for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Michigan State University is a public school located in the city of East Lansing. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,392.
University Of Michigan Dearborn came in at #8 for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Dearborn, University Of Michigan Dearborn is a public institution. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,909.
Central Michigan University came in at #9 for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a public institution. General Psychology graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of about $52,674 a year early in their careers.
Rochester College placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for general psychology. Set in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Rochester College is a private not-for-profit institution. General Psychology graduates of Rochester College earn a median of about $47,279 a year early in their careers.
Wayne State University came in at #11 for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Wayne State University is a public school located in the city of Detroit. Early-career general psychology graduates from Wayne State University make a median of around $55,855 per year.
Aquinas College Michigan landed the #12 spot for general psychology salaries this year. Located in the city of Grand Rapids, Aquinas College Michigan is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,393.
Spring Arbor University placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for general psychology. Spring Arbor University is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Spring Arbor. Early-career general psychology graduates from Spring Arbor University make a median of around $42,212 per year.
Grand Valley State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general psychology schools. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. After graduating, general psychology degree recipients from Grand Valley State University typically earn about $50,042 annually.
Hope College came in at #15 for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Holland, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. General Psychology graduates of Hope College earn a median of about $51,887 a year early in their careers.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general psychology schools. Located in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,294.
Kalamazoo College placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for general psychology. Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kalamazoo. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,202.
Western Michigan University earned the #18 position for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,201.
Saginaw Valley State University ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general psychology schools. Set in the suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. Early-career general psychology graduates from Saginaw Valley State University make a median of around $47,832 per year.
Oakland University earned the #20 position for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Oakland University is a public school located in the suburb of Rochester Hills. Early-career general psychology graduates from Oakland University make a median of around $49,500 per year.
Calvin College came in at #21 for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Grand Rapids, Calvin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,432.
Ferris State University came in at #22 for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a public institution. Early-career general psychology graduates from Ferris State University make a median of around $44,872 per year.
Baker College Of Flint ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general psychology schools. Baker College Of Flint is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Owosso. General Psychology graduates of Baker College Of Flint earn a median of about $39,022 a year early in their careers.
Cornerstone University landed the #24 spot for general psychology salaries this year. Cornerstone University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Grand Rapids. After graduating, general psychology degree recipients from Cornerstone University typically earn about $35,883 annually.
University Of Michigan Flint came in at #25 for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Flint, University Of Michigan Flint is a public institution. General Psychology graduates of University Of Michigan Flint earn a median of about $42,106 a year early in their careers.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid general psychology ranking:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries general psychology graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 27 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.