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2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

287 Ranked Colleges
5,985 Degrees Awarded
$32,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 134,326 general psychology students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 5,985 general psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 287 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general psychology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general psychology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Psychology Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 287 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Duke University are $59,140.

Read more about General Psychology at Duke University

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 43 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Psychology at Harvard University

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 48 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Psychology at University of Pennsylvania

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Psychology at Northwestern University

#5

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

Out of the 287 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Florida General Psychology Report

#6

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Rice University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified masters’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice are $47,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Psychology at Rice

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Psychology at UW - Madison

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#25 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill General Psychology Report

#9

Queens College

Queens, New York

With a ranking of #9, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 11 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Queens College are $21,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Psychology at Queens College

#10

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#22 in overall quality

Florida State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Psychology at Florida State University

#11

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 13 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CCNY are $20,832.

Full CCNY General Psychology Report

#12

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#18 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

UMCP also made our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMCP are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Psychology at UMCP

#13

Hunter College

New York, New York

With a ranking of #13, Hunter College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 19 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828.

Read full report on General Psychology at Hunter College

#14

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
Top 15% in overall quality

William & Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, William & Mary is also in the top of our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at William & Mary are $34,800.

Read more about General Psychology at William & Mary

Florida International University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 61 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida International University are $24,211.

Read full report on General Psychology at FIU

#16

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#9 in overall quality

Wake Forest University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Wake Forest University are $39,216, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Psychology at Wake Forest University

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 15 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581.

Read full report on General Psychology at California State University - Fresno

#18

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Read full report on General Psychology at University of California - Los Angeles

#19

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCF are $28,657.

Read full report on General Psychology at University of Central Florida

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 33 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - Long Beach General Psychology Report

#21

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Boston College also made our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Psychology at Boston College

#22

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#24 in overall quality

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Georgia are $27,476.

Read full report on General Psychology at UGA

California State University - Fullerton ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892.

Read full report on General Psychology at Cal State Fullerton

#24

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#17 in overall quality

Emory University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 8 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Emory University are $44,676, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Psychology at Emory

#25

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
Top 20% in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 18 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State excels when it comes to psychology quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Psychology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Michigan State University General Psychology Report

Rest of the Best 44 in Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 44 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#27

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#31

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#32

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#33

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#36

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#37

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#38

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#40

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#41

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#42

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#43

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to BruceBlaus.

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