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. The highest-paying schools turn a general psychology degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 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.
Northern State University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid general psychology graduates in South Dakota. Set in the town of Aberdeen, Northern State University is a public institution. After graduating, general psychology degree recipients from Northern State University typically earn about $52,374 annually.
Augustana College South Dakota produces some of the highest-paid graduates in general psychology, landing the #2 spot this year. Augustana College South Dakota is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux Falls. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,200.
A rank of #3 makes South Dakota State University one of the highest-paying schools for general psychology. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a public institution. Students who complete the general psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,296.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of South Dakota earned it the #4 place for general psychology. Located in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a public institution. General Psychology graduates of University Of South Dakota earn a median of about $51,388 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in general psychology will find them at Black Hills State University, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Spearfish, Black Hills State University is a public institution. General Psychology graduates of Black Hills State University earn a median of about $36,298 a year early in their careers.
University Of Sioux Falls earned the #6 position for general psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, University Of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general psychology degree recipients from University Of Sioux Falls typically earn about $43,056 annually.
This ranking is produced 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 · 6 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.