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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Child Development & Psychology

266 Ranked Colleges
17,542 Degrees Awarded
$31,700 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Child Development & Psychology is the 57th most popular major in the country with 17,542 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, child development and psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,186 and had an average of $22,623 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major” ranking, we looked at 266 colleges that offer a degree in child development and psychology. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their child development and psychology program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Child Development & Psychology Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Child Development Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for child development students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Child Development & Psychology

1
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bates College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major. This small school is located in Lewiston, Maine, and it awarded 73 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Bates Child Development & Psychology Report

2
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Out of the 266 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Pitzer College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Pitzer College

3
Whitman crest
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Whitman College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major. Whitman College is located in Walla Walla, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Whitman

4
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Out of the 266 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Forest College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 46 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Lake Forest

5
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Out of the 266 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Scripps College landed the #5 spot on the list. Scripps is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 32 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Scripps College Child Development & Psychology Report

6
Cottey College crest
Cottey College
Nevada, Missouri

Cottey College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #6. Cottey College is a small school located in Nevada, Missouri that handed out 7 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Cottey College Child Development & Psychology Report

7
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Park University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Located in Parkville, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 257 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Park University

8
Mt. Holyoke crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Mount Holyoke College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It awarded 61 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Mount Holyoke College

9
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Barnard College is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Barnard

10
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 38 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Claremont McKenna College Child Development & Psychology Report

11

University of California - Riverside landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 624 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Riverside Child Development & Psychology Report

12
Montclair State crest
Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Montclair State is a large public school situated in Montclair, New Jersey. It awarded 462 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Montclair State Child Development & Psychology Report

13
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Wellesley is a small school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts that handed out 62 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Wellesley College

14
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #14, Amherst College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Amherst College

15
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 384 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Child Development & Psychology Report

16
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #16. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at St Olaf College

17

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 578 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Child Development & Psychology Report

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 879 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UC Davis Child Development & Psychology Report

19
NSU crest
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school handed out 139 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Northeastern State University

20
Union College crest
Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

Union College New York came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Schenectady, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Union College

21
Wabash crest
Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

Wabash College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Wabash College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Wabash College Child Development & Psychology Report

22
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Luther College is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Luther

23
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Albion is located in Albion, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Full Albion Child Development & Psychology Report

24
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 35 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Carleton

25
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Vassar

Rest of the Best 40 in Schools Highly Focused on Child Development Major

Not only did these schools make the top 40 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Trinity College crest
Trinity Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
28
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York
29
Gordon College crest
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts
30
Centre College of Kentucky crest
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky
31
Trinity U crest
Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas
32
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
33
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
34
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois
35
36
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York
37
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
38
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, Ohio
39
Georgia College crest
Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville, Georgia
40
Emmanuel Boston crest
Emmanuel College Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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