Bachelor's · Merced, California
Is Research and Experimental Psychology at University of California-Merced worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $40,684
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- Not enough graduates to report
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $11,218
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $49k (likely $49k – $64k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $2k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$204k (likely −$261k – −$159k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$180k (likely −$278k – −$85k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 68%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Research and Experimental Psychology at other schools
🍎 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward teaching & helping people majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Psychology
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Statistics
IB Higher Level
- Psychology HL
- Language A HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at University of California-Merced
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$102,575
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$95,040
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's)$88,795
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor's)$83,007
- Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's)$82,156
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$68,277
- Economics (Bachelor's)$67,692
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$67,444
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Doctoral)$64,613
- Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)$62,815
- Biology, General (Bachelor's)$59,249
- English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's)$58,623
Research and Experimental Psychology at other schools in California
- University of California-Santa Barbara$66,171
- University of California-Berkeley$64,904
- University of California-San Diego$63,130
- University of California-Los Angeles$61,134
- University of California-Davis$57,378
- University of California-Irvine$54,323
- University of California-Riverside$49,947
- Mount Saint Mary's University$49,222
- California State University-San Bernardino$47,408
- Stanford University$40,983