In 2017, about 3.5 million people in the United States held a bachelor’s degree in psychology.1 Of those:
- About 499,000 (14%) also held graduate degrees in psychology, with 13% earning a psychology master’s degree and 4% earning a psychology doctorate or professional degree. The overlapping 3% earned both master’s and doctoral or professional degrees.2
- About 30% held graduate degrees in fields other than psychology, such as education, health and social services.3
- The remaining 2 million (56%) did not earn graduate degrees.
- The proportion of psychology bachelor’s degree holders who held a graduate degree was progressively higher from the “ages 24 or younger” group through the “ages 30–34” group, then stabilized, suggesting that the majority of people complete their graduate education by age 30.
For an interactive version of this Datapoint, visit CWS Data Tool: Degree Pathways in Psychology. For more information, contact cws@apa.orgopens in new window.
