MAJORS · 17 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI

Is a clinical & counseling psychology degree worth it?

Part of Psychology — see the whole category’s numbers.

On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$11,789. But the spread is the real story.

MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED

+$11,789

across 57 bachelor’s programs · 4,820 graduates

MEDIAN GRADUATE

+$28K

MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN

−$126K ⟷ +$150K

NEVER BREAK EVEN

41.5%

MEDIAN PROGRAM-ESTIMATED BREAK-EVEN AGE

39

Among programs that break even; weighted by graduate cohorts. These are program estimates, not tracked individual graduate outcomes.

ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES

−$41K

IF YOU DROP OUT

−$112K

Questions

Is a clinical & counseling psychology degree worth it?
On average yes — across 57 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Clinical & Counseling Psychology is +$11,789 and the median is +$28,252. 41.5% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$125,663 and +$149,676.
How long until a clinical & counseling psychology degree pays off?
For Clinical & Counseling Psychology, Among programs that break even, the median program-estimated break-even age, weighted by graduate cohorts, is 39. 41.5% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. FREOPP 2021.
Does the school matter for a clinical & counseling psychology major?
Enormously. The middle 50% of Clinical & Counseling Psychology graduates span −$125,663 to +$149,676 — a +$275K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.

↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Clinical & Counseling Psychology: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/clinical-and-counseling-psychology