2021 Best Colleges for General Psychology
Approximately 130,357 general psychology degrees were granted to students last year in the United States. With so many options it can be a challenge finding the right fit. This year's Best Colleges for General Psychology ranking analyzed 779 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in general psychology. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 15% of colleges for General Psychology students.
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Choosing a Great General Psychology School
The psychology program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality psychology program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A Great Overall School
The overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
The lowest ranked school in our list is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking while the vast majority are in at least the top 6%.
Above Average Earnings After Graduation
General Psychology graduates from colleges on this list tend to earn more after college than those from other schools. While the average general psychology bachelors degree from U.S. colleges results in an average starting salary of $27,985, graduates of colleges on this list average $36,180.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on General Psychology students vs. other majors.
- Major Popularity - How many other general psychology students choose this school.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or a recognized general psychology related accrediting body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for General Psychology students.
Best Schools to Study General Psychology in the United States
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities to study general psychology. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Top 25 Best Psychology Colleges
Every student pursuing a degree in general psychology has to check out Duke University. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of 2 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Duke is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Duke also offers 2 different higher degree levels in general psychology, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Duke University general psychology majors receive $2,920 more than the typical psychology student.
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It is difficult to beat Boston College if you wish to study general psychology. Boston College is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chestnut Hill. This college ranks 61st out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, Boston College also offers a Master's Degree in general psychology. General Psychology students from Boston College earn a boost of approximately $4,620 above the average earnings of general psychology graduates.
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Georgetown University is a great decision for students interested in a General Psychology degree. Located in the large city Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 55th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There are about 99 general psychology undergrads studying this degree at Georgetown. General Psychology students from Georgetown University get a earnings boost of approximately $2,820 above the average earnings of general psychology graduates.
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University of Virginia - Main Campus is among your best bets if you want to study general psychology. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of 42 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great college overall.
There are approximately 245 general psychology undergrads studying this degree at University of Virginia. Students who graduate from the psychology program make about $35,700 for their early career.
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Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Worcester. A Best Colleges rank of 31 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Holy Cross is a great college overall.
A favorite major for general psychology undergrads, there are roughly 107 students studying this degree at Holy Cross. Graduates of the psychology program earn an average of $36,800 for their early career.
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Located in the small city Evanston, Northwestern U is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 12 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Northwestern U is a great school overall.
There are roughly 171 general psychology undergraduates enrolled in this degree at Northwestern U. After graduation, psychology students usually make around $36,000 in the first five years of their career.
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Located in the large city Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 49th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There are roughly 273 general psychology undergraduates enrolled in this degree at Boston U. Grads of the psychology program report average early career income of $33,700.
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Located in the large city Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 34 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Emory is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Emory also offers 2 different higher degree levels in general psychology, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship). Soon after graduation, psychology students generally make an average of $34,300 in the first five years of their career.
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Located in the small city Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 17 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great college overall.
With 67 students enrolled, Cornell University is one of most popular colleges to study psychology in United States. Graduates from the general psychology major at Cornell University make $7,120 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
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Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hamilton. A Best Colleges rank of 29 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Colgate is a great college overall.
With 10 students enrolled, Colgate University is one of most popular schools to study psychology in United States. General Psychology students from Colgate University get a earnings boost of about $6,920 over the average earnings of general psychology majors.
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Located in the large suburb College Park, UMCP is a public college with a very large student population. This college ranks 117th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
For those interested in something more advanced, UMCP also offers 2 different higher degree levels in general psychology, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship). After graduating, psychology students usually make around $34,800 in their early careers.
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UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the city of Los Angeles. This college ranks 65th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There are approximately 697 general psychology undergraduates enrolled in this program at UCLA. Students who complete this program state that they receive average early career income of $30,000.
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Located in the small city Carlisle, Dickinson is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 79th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
With 42 undergrads, Dickinson College is one of most popular schools to study psychology in United States. General Psychology majors from Dickinson College get a earnings boost of around $4,720 above the average income of general psychology majors.
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Located in the medium-sized city Providence, Providence is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This school ranks 145th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.
There are roughly 79 general psychology undergraduates studying this program at Providence. After graduation, psychology students usually earn around $37,400 in the first five years of their career.
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Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Easton. This school ranks 53rd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
A favorite choice for general psychology undergrads, there are roughly 62 individuals studying this program at Lafayette. Lafayette College general psychology students earn $3,820 more than the standard psychology grad.
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Located in the city Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of 11 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Rice is a great school overall.
With 62 students enrolled, Rice University is one of most popular schools to study psychology in United States. After graduating, psychology students typically earn around $34,800 in the first five years of their career.
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Located in the city New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 108th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.
For those interested in something more advanced, Tulane also offers 2 different higher degree levels in general psychology, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship). Graduates of the psychology program make around $34,100 for their early career.
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Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem. A Best Colleges rank of 37 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great school overall.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, Wake Forest University offers a Master's Degree in general psychology. Graduates of the psychology program earn an average of $32,600 in the first couple years of their career.
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Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of 24 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great college overall.
With 74 undergrads, Vanderbilt University is one of most popular colleges to study psychology in United States. Grads of the psychology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $32,100.
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UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. This school ranks 60th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
For those interested in something more advanced, UNC Chapel Hill also offers 2 different higher degree levels in general psychology, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who complete this degree report average early career earnings of $28,100.
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Williams is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Williamstown. A Best Colleges rank of 7 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Williams is a great college overall.
With 47 undergrads, Williams College is one of most popular colleges to study psychology in United States. Students who graduate from the psychology program earn an average of $36,100 in the first couple years of working.
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Binghamton University is a large public school located in the midsize suburb of Vestal. This school ranks 177th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, Binghamton University offers a Master's Degree in general psychology. After graduation, psychology students generally earn around $36,600 at the beginning of their careers.
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Located in the city Bethlehem, Lehigh is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of 44 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Lehigh is a great college overall.
Lehigh University is one of the most popular school to study psychology in United States with over 48 graduates last year. General Psychology graduates from Lehigh University earn a boost of about $3,820 over the average earnings of general psychology graduates.
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UMass Amherst is a very large public school located in the suburb of Amherst. This college ranks 118th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There are roughly 534 general psychology undergraduates studying this program at UMass Amherst. Graduates of the psychology program make around $33,200 in their early career salary.
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William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. This school ranks 73rd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
With 160 students enrolled, College of William and Mary is one of most popular schools to study psychology in United States. Students who graduate from this program report average early career wages of $32,000.
More… Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for General Psychology
Additional Award Winners
This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Colleges for General Psychology badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 779 different United States general psychology schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for General Psychology students that almost earned our Best Colleges for General Psychology award.
General Psychology by Region
View the Best Colleges for General Psychology for a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
General Psychology Related Rankings by Major
General Psychology is one of 3 different types of Psychology programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Psychology
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology | 30,532 |
Child Development & Psychology | 13,150 |
Other Psychology | 3,056 |
View All Psychology Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to BruceBlaus. More about our data sources and methodologies.
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