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2023 Most Popular Colleges for General Psychology in California

202 Ranked Colleges
29,992 Degrees Awarded
$27,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 141,695 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, general psychology is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, general psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,326 and had an average of $26,018 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 29,992 general psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,807 and $22,757 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California” ranking, we looked at 202 colleges that offer a degree in general psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular general psychology programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Psychology Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Psychology 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 “Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 881 ’s psychology degrees 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 more about General Psychology at CSUN

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 812 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton General Psychology Report

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4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 684 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Psychology at UCLA

5
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 638 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Diego State University General Psychology Report

6

California State University - Sacramento ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 609 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Sac State

7

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 585 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 California State University - San Bernardino

8

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 535 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full CSULB General Psychology Report

9

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 520 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at University of California - Santa Cruz

10
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 515 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about General Psychology at San Jose State

11

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 511 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at CSUDH

12

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 483 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

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

13
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 474 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read more about General Psychology at SFSU

14
Sierra College crest
Sierra College
Rocklin, California

With a ranking of #14, Sierra College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. Rocklin, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 435 students in 2020-2021.

Full Sierra College General Psychology Report

15

California State University - East Bay landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 430 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about General Psychology at Cal State East Bay

16

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 414 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Stanislaus General Psychology Report

17
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. Mt. SAC is a large public school situated in Walnut, California. It awarded 385 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Psychology at Mt. San Antonio College

18
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Merced College
Merced, California

Merced College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. Merced College is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 378 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on General Psychology at Merced College

19

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 374 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona General Psychology Report

20

University of California - Irvine ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 367 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine General Psychology Report

21

California State University - Chico landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 366 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Chico State

21

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 366 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 California State University - Los Angeles General Psychology Report

23
Bakersfield College crest
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 357 students in 2020-2021.

Full Bakersfield College General Psychology Report

24

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. CSUCI is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 356 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at CSUCI

25
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Pasadena City College ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California list. Pasadena City College is located in Pasadena, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 339 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Read more about General Psychology at Pasadena City College

Rest of the Best 31 in Most Well Attended Psychology Major in California

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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27
28
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California
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30
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California
31
College of the Canyons crest
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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