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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Psychology

964 Ranked Colleges
141,695 Degrees Awarded
$14,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Psychology Schools” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 141,695 general psychology students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools” ranking analyzed 964 colleges that offered a degree 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

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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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for psychology students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Psychology

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 293 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU is also in the top of our “Best General Psychology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for psychology students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about General Psychology at BYU

2
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools list. American Military University is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 404 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend American Military University is $10,563 for Psychology students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Psychology at American Military University

3
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools list. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 674 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Capella University is also in the top of our “Best General Psychology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Capella University is $16,545 for psychology students.

Read full report on General Psychology at Capella University

4
5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Psychology Schools. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 103 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University excels when it comes to psychology quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It costs about $16,998 for psychology students per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

6
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Top 20% in overall quality
$55,437 Average Early-Career Earnings

Walden University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools ranking, coming in at #6. Walden University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 575 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Walden University also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 General Psychology at Walden University

7
Top 15% in overall quality
$48,067 Average Early-Career Earnings

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 828 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Skysong is also in the top of our “Best General Psychology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full ASU - Skysong General Psychology Report

8
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 116 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

UND also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $16,966 for psychology students.

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 University of North Dakota General Psychology Report

9
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University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

With a ranking of #9, University of South Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools list. USD is a medium-sized school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 65 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, USD also did well on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend USD is $19,389 for psychology students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Dakota General Psychology Report

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 791 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa is also in the top of our “Best General Psychology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for Psychology students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on General Psychology at USF Tampa

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools list. UMGC is a large public school situated in Adelphi, Maryland. It awarded 576 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UMGC also did well on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UMGC is $15,395 for psychology students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at UMGC

12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 204 students in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,654 for Psychology students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - La Crosse General Psychology Report

13

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 187 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,462 for Psychology students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on General Psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

14
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 871 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,946 for Psychology students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Psychology at Florida State

15
Cumberlands crest
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky

University of the Cumberlands landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and it awarded 95 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cumberlands is $13,476 for psychology students.

Read full report on General Psychology at University of the Cumberlands

16

Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools list. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 205 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,698 for Psychology students per year to attend BYU - I.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 BYU - I General Psychology Report

17
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools list. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 148 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Metro State is $16,044 for Psychology students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Metro State General Psychology Report

18

With a ranking of #18, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools list. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 312 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Missouri State is in the top on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,718 for psychology students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield General Psychology Report

19
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools list. Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 99 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,033 for psychology students per year to attend Bemidji State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at Bemidji State University

20

Northern Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 225 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, NIU also did well on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It costs about $13,956 for psychology students per year to attend NIU.

Full NIU General Psychology Report

21
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

Grand Canyon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and it awarded 167 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Canyon University is $20,585 for psychology students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Grand Canyon University

22
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools ranking, coming in at #22. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 693 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

Hunter also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,158 for psychology students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 General Psychology at Hunter College

23

University of North Texas ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools list. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 517 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

UNT excels when it comes to psychology quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Psychology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $14,122 for psychology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Psychology at University of North Texas

24
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 280 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,007 for psychology students per year to attend Central Michigan University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan General Psychology Report

25

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,844 for psychology students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 General Psychology at UW - River Falls

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Psychology Schools

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
30
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Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina
31
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
32
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Queens College
Queens, New York
33
34
35
36
Northcentral University crest
Northcentral University
San Diego, California
37
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University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
38
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University of Houston
Houston, Texas
39
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, Missouri
40
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
41
42
43
44
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Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota
45
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University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
46
47
48
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
49
49
ETSU crest
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Psychology Schools

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
52The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
53Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
54University of FloridaGainesville, FL
55California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
56Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
57Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
58University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
59Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA
60Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
61Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
62California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
62Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL
64University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
65Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
RankCollegeLocation
66University of Wisconsin - Stevens PointStevens Point, WI
67Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX
68Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
69University of Wisconsin - OshkoshOshkosh, WI
70University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
71Truman State UniversityKirksville, MO
72Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL
73West Texas A&M UniversityCanyon, TX
74University of Wisconsin - Green BayGreen Bay, WI
75Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA
75Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, KS
77University of North Carolina at WilmingtonWilmington, NC
78The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
79Wichita State UniversityWichita, KS
80University of KansasLawrence, KS
81Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
82Wayne State CollegeWayne, NE
83South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, SD
84The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
84University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
86University of Wisconsin - PlattevillePlatteville, WI
87University of Central ArkansasConway, AR
88University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL
89Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, MN
90California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
RankCollegeLocation
91San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
92Peru State CollegePeru, NE
93University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
94University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
95Southeast Missouri State UniversityCape Girardeau, MO
96University of Wisconsin - ParksideKenosha, WI
97Minnesota State University - MoorheadMoorhead, MN
98Avila UniversityKansas City, MO
99Angelo State UniversitySan Angelo, TX
100University of Houston - Clear LakeHouston, TX
101Southern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondale, IL
102University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
103Amarillo CollegeAmarillo, TX
104Wilmington UniversityNew Castle, DE
105Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, VA
106Carlos Albizu University - San JuanSan Juan, PR
107Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, OH
108Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, MO
109University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
110Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY
111California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
112California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
113California State University - East BayHayward, CA
114University of South AlabamaMobile, AL
115University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
RankCollegeLocation
116University of Wisconsin - StoutMenomonie, WI
117Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
118Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
119Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main CampusIndiana, PA
120Salt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake City, UT
121Towson UniversityTowson, MD
122Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA
123Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH
124University of Wisconsin - SuperiorSuperior, WI
125California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
125Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, MI
127Kean UniversityUnion, NJ
128West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
129Kent State University at KentKent, OH
130Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY
131Oklahoma City Community CollegeOklahoma City, OK
132University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
133National UniversityLa Jolla, CA
134Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
135MSU TexasWichita Falls, TX
136California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
137University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
138Tarleton State UniversityStephenville, TX
139University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK
140University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
RankCollegeLocation
141Park UniversityParkville, MO
142SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY
143The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
144Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
145National Louis UniversityChicago, IL

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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