by our College Data Analytics Team
[Child Development Psychology](/majors/psychology/child-development-psychology/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their child development psychology graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 83 schools on the early-career earnings of their child development psychology graduates.
What’s on this page:
The child development psychology program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. That is why we built our Highest Paid Child Development Psychology Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its child development psychology graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Read more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Child Development Psychology Graduates list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
If you want to know which schools send child development psychology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Northwestern University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools in the United States. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $84,007.
Harvard University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. Set in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Child Development Psychology graduates of Harvard University earn a median of about $102,305 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in child development psychology will find them at Columbia University In The City Of New York, which ranked #3. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from Columbia University In The City Of New York make a median of around $80,055 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Tufts University one of the highest-paying schools for child development psychology. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from Tufts University make a median of around $56,504 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in child development psychology will find them at University Of Chicago, which ranked #5. University Of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Early-career child development psychology graduates from University Of Chicago make a median of around $84,957 per year.
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Smith College came in at #6 for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Northampton, Smith College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from Smith College make a median of around $62,558 per year.
University Of Rochester ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. Located in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from University Of Rochester make a median of around $67,923 per year.
Niagara University came in at #8 for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Niagara University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Niagara University. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from Niagara University typically earn about $49,560 annually.
Johns Hopkins University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University typically earn about $49,035 annually.
Northeastern University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from Northeastern University typically earn about $64,262 annually.
Northeastern University Global Network earned the #11 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University Global Network is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from Northeastern University Global Network make a median of around $64,262 per year.
University Of California Los Angeles earned the #12 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $78,384.
Yale University landed the #13 spot for child development psychology salaries this year. Located in the city of New Haven, Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from Yale University make a median of around $47,874 per year.
Bates College came in at #14 for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Lewiston, Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from Bates College make a median of around $47,376 per year.
University Of California Santa Barbara came in at #15 for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, University Of California Santa Barbara is a public institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from University Of California Santa Barbara make a median of around $66,321 per year.
Princeton University earned the #16 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Child Development Psychology graduates of Princeton University earn a median of about $47,050 a year early in their careers.
Amherst College earned the #17 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Amherst, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the child development psychology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,786.
Lindsey Wilson College landed the #18 spot for child development psychology salaries this year. Set in the town of Columbia, Lindsey Wilson College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from Lindsey Wilson College typically earn about $44,721 annually.
University Of Pennsylvania ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from University Of Pennsylvania make a median of around $44,542 per year.
University Of California Davis ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying child development psychology schools. University Of California Davis is a public school located in the suburb of Davis. Early-career child development psychology graduates from University Of California Davis make a median of around $62,401 per year.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor placed #21 among the highest-paying schools for child development psychology. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public institution. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor typically earn about $63,419 annually.
Barnard College earned the #22 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Barnard College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from Barnard College typically earn about $44,055 annually.
The University Of Texas At Dallas landed the #23 spot for child development psychology salaries this year. Set in the city of Richardson, The University Of Texas At Dallas is a public institution. After graduating, child development psychology degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Dallas typically earn about $55,847 annually.
University Of Delaware earned the #24 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. University Of Delaware is a public school located in the suburb of Newark. Child Development Psychology graduates of University Of Delaware earn a median of about $61,576 a year early in their careers.
University Of Colorado Denver earned the #25 position for child development psychology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a public institution. Early-career child development psychology graduates from University Of Colorado Denver make a median of around $55,965 per year.
Not far behind, these schools also produced high-earning child development psychology graduates:
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This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries child development 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 · 83 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.