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Major · Psychology

Experimental psychology is a research-track launching pad

This bachelor’s trains you in research design, statistics, and lab methods rather than clinical practice. Two of the three named occupations require a master’s or doctorate, so treat the degree as preparation for graduate study. Five-year median earnings sit near $58,880.

Schools offering
39
Annual completions
3,493
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$59k

About this major

Experimental Psychology is a research-track bachelor’s built around the scientific study of behavior under controlled conditions. The CIP definition emphasizes learning theory, research design, psychological measurement, and statistical analysis — not clinical practice. Students spend their time reading primary literature, running studies in faculty labs, and learning the methods that distinguish a published finding from an interesting hunch.

The degree fits students who already suspect they want a research career and are willing to plan around graduate school from day one. Two of the three named occupations in the federal data — psychologists and postsecondary psychology teachers — require a master’s or doctorate. The third, the catch-all managers category, posts a $136,550 median wage but is not a direct pipeline. Realistic destinations after the bachelor’s include lab manager roles, clinical research coordinator positions, and PhD or PsyD programs in cognitive, social, developmental, or clinical psychology.

A grounded number to anchor the picture: only 39 colleges award this exact degree, producing 3,493 completers per year, against 133,179 from the broader Psychology, General label. Five-year median earnings are about $58,880, and the bachelor’s-level cut sits at $58,998. Those numbers reflect the graduate-school-ramp design. Students who stop at the bachelor’s and pursue research-coordinator or analyst work tend to land near that band; the larger payoffs follow doctoral training and licensure.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
Psychologists, all other $118k +4.3% Master's degree
Psychology teachers, postsecondary $80k +3.6% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$59k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$49k

Bachelor's

$59k

Who this major is for

Green flags show up early. If statistics, research methods, and lab work sound like the parts of a psychology degree you actually want, the experimental label fits. Students who enjoy reading methods sections, who ask why a study used one design instead of another, and who volunteer in a faculty lab during sophomore year tend to do well here. The major also rewards students with strong quantitative habits — the curriculum leans on statistics in a way the general track often does not.

The degree fits people planning for graduate study. Federal data lists psychologists (master’s typical) and psychology professors (doctorate typical) as the named occupations, so the bachelor’s is best read as preparation for a PhD or PsyD application rather than a complete credential. A research thesis and an assistantship matter more than GPA alone for those admissions decisions.

Red flags are worth naming. Students who want clinical or counseling work right after graduation will find this major frustrating — those paths require licensure and graduate training the bachelor’s does not provide. Students hoping for a broad bachelor’s-level career menu may prefer Psychology, General or Applied Psychology, which together produced over 134,000 completions and read more flexibly to non-research employers.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Experimental Psychology

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 0 683 683
University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 0 503 503
Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN 0 375 375
University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC 0 369 369
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 0 320 320
Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO 0 126 126
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 0 113 113
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY 0 83 83
Tufts University Medford, MA 0 74 74
Harvard University Cambridge, MA 0 69 69
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Psychology, General

133,179 completions/yr

Research and Experimental Psychology, Other

11,877 completions/yr

Criminology

8,556 completions/yr

Behavioral Sciences

2,603 completions/yr

Applied Psychology

1,583 completions/yr

Behavioral Neuroscience

1,302 completions/yr

Forensic Psychology

877 completions/yr

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

520 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

Do I need a graduate degree to use this major?
Yes for the named occupations. Two of the three careers in the data — psychologists (master’s typical) and psychology professors (doctorate typical) — require graduate study. Only the broad managerial bucket lists a bachelor’s as typical entry. Treat the bachelor’s as a runway to a PhD or applied master’s program rather than a terminal credential.
How does this differ from Psychology, General?
Psychology, General produced 133,179 completions and reads as a broad survey degree. Experimental Psychology produced 3,493 and signals a research orientation: heavier statistics, tighter focus on experimental design, and a culture built around lab assistantships. Graduate admissions committees read the label that way.
What do five-year earnings look like?
Median earnings five years after graduation are about $58,880. The bachelor’s split shows $58,998 for bachelor’s holders and $49,186 for associate-level completers. Earnings climb after graduate school for those who continue to clinical, counseling, or academic roles.
Where is this major actually offered?
Only 39 institutions awarded it, with Ohio State (683 completions), UC Santa Barbara (503), and Purdue (375) leading by volume. Most psychology departments label their bachelor’s as Psychology, General, so the experimental label tends to appear at large research universities and a handful of liberal arts colleges like Skidmore and Tufts.
What coursework should I expect?
Expect statistics, research methods, learning theory, psychometrics, and at least one lab-based capstone. Many programs require an honors thesis or independent research project. Plan to seek a research assistantship by sophomore year — that lab experience is the credential graduate programs read most carefully.
What if I don’t want to go to graduate school?
Look at adjacent CIP majors with broader bachelor’s-level employment, such as Industrial and Organizational Psychology (520 completions) or Applied Psychology (1,583). Psychology, General also offers wider career flexibility. Experimental Psychology rewards students who already know they want to do research.