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2024 Best General Psychology Schools

964 Colleges in the United States
141,695 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$30,326 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #4 in popularity, general psychology is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 964 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general psychology students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 141,695 degrees in general psychology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Psychology School

Best General Psychology Schools The psychology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Psychology rankings. We derive our Best Overall General Psychology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General Psychology Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Psychology
Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology
Master's Degrees in Psychology
Doctor's Degrees in Psychology

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 Best General Psychology Schools list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for General Psychology in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of psychology degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Psychology

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20th Most Popular In MA
62 Psychology Degrees Awarded

Harvard University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in general psychology. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 62 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Harvard University

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Psychology Degrees Awarded
13.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general psychology. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 97 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those general psychology students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame make $8,359 more than the average psychology grad.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Notre Dame

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$57,366 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in general psychology. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 48 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. General Psychology degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania get an earnings boost of approximately $27,040 over the typical income of general psychology majors.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Pennsylvania

4
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$42,110 Median Starting Salary
$11,805 Median Student Debt

Duke University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in general psychology. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 29 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those general psychology students who get their degree from Duke University receive $11,784 more than the typical psychology graduate.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Duke University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$34,751 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 144 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general psychology degree program at Northwestern University earn $4,425 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Northwestern University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
684 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$44,121 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 684 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. General Psychology degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles earn a boost of about $13,795 over the average earnings of general psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of California - Los Angeles

7
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Psychology Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 103 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. General Psychology degree recipients from Georgetown University earn a boost of approximately $15,610 over the average income of general psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Georgetown University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
455 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$31,572 Median Starting Salary

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 455 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program report average early career income of $31,572.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Wisconsin - Madison

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
188 Psychology Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 188 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Those general psychology students who get their degree from University of Southern California make $4,598 more than the average psychology grad.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Southern California

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
559 Psychology Degrees Awarded
5.4% Growth in Graduates

UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 55 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 559 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general psychology degree program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities get $4,066 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
620 Psychology Degrees Awarded
12.4% Growth in Graduates

Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the midsize city of College Station. This university ranks 3rd out of 116 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 620 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, psychology degree recipients typically earn around $27,509 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Texas A&M University - College Station

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$45,925 Median Starting Salary

Carnegie Mellon is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 29 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Those general psychology students who get their degree from Carnegie Mellon University receive $15,599 more than the average psychology grad.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Carnegie Mellon University

13
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Psychology Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 105 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the psychology program earn an average of $28,292 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Vanderbilt University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
288 Psychology Degrees Awarded
11.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 65 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 288 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, psychology degree recipients typically earn about $29,899 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Virginia - Main Campus

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Psychology Degrees Awarded
3.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 81 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general psychology major at Cornell University get $5,837 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Cornell University

16
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Psychology Degrees Awarded
17.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were about 78 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year. After graduation, psychology degree recipients generally make an average of $31,474 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Rice University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
438 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$31,788 Median Starting Salary

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the city of Austin. This university ranks 2nd out of 116 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 438 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $31,788.

More information about a degree in general psychology from The University of Texas at Austin

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
367 Psychology Degrees Awarded
16.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 14th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 367 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $28,714.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of California - Irvine

19
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
300 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$36,974 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 300 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. Those general psychology students who get their degree from Boston University make $6,648 more than the average psychology student.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Boston University

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
408 Psychology Degrees Awarded
1.2% Growth in Graduates

UCONN is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Storrs. This university ranks 2nd out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were about 408 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, psychology degree recipients usually make about $32,079 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Connecticut

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
512 Psychology Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

UMass Amherst is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Amherst. This university ranks 10th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 512 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent year we have data available. General Psychology degree recipients from University of Massachusetts Amherst get an earnings boost of around $3,029 over the typical earnings of general psychology majors.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Massachusetts Amherst

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
374 Psychology Degrees Awarded
4.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 35 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 374 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program state that they receive average early career wages of $31,658.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Maryland - College Park

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
536 Psychology Degrees Awarded
7.1% Growth in Graduates

UGA is a very large public university located in the city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 536 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general psychology major at University of Georgia make $17,430 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Georgia

24
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$29,174 Median Starting Salary

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 146 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program state that they receive average early career income of $29,174.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Emory University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
534 Psychology Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were about 534 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent data year. General Psychology degree recipients from University of Colorado Boulder receive an earnings boost of about $4,057 over the average earnings of general psychology majors.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of Colorado Boulder

Rest of the Top 50 Best General Psychology Schools

25
26
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
27
28
29
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
30
31
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA

32
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA

33
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
34
35
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
36
37
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
38
39
40

41
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

42
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
43
44
45
46
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
47
48
49

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best General Psychology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 964 different United States general psychology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
51 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
52 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
53 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
54 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
55 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
56 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
57 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
58 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
59 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
60 Florida International University Miami, FL
61 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
62 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
63 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
64 Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA
65 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
66 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
67 Providence College Providence, RI
68 The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
69 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
70 Clemson University Clemson, SC
71 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
72 Washington State University Pullman, WA
73 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
74 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
75 Elon University Elon, NC
76 Fordham University Bronx, NY
77 University of North Texas Denton, TX
78 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
79 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
80 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
81 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
82 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
83 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
84 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
85 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
86 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
87 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
88 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
89 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
90 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
91 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
92 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
93 Auburn University Auburn, AL
94 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
95 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
96 Clark University Worcester, MA
97 Haverford College Haverford, PA
98 Seattle University Seattle, WA
99 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
100 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
101 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
102 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
103 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
104 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
105 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
106 Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA
107 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
108 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
109 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
110 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
111 Queens College Queens, NY
112 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
113 Baylor University Waco, TX
114 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
115 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
116 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
117 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
118 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
119 Towson University Towson, MD
120 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
121 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
122 Palo Alto University Palo Alto, CA
123 American University Washington, DC
124 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
125 Capella University Minneapolis, MN
126 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
127 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
128 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
129 Simmons University Boston, MA
130 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
131 DePaul University Chicago, IL
132 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
133 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
134 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
135 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
136 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
137 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
138 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
139 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
140 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
141 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
142 Illinois State University Normal, IL
143 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
144 University at Albany Albany, NY

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for General Psychology students that almost earned our Best General Psychology Schools award.

Rank College Location
145 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
146 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
147 Stonehill College Easton, MA
148 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
149 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
150 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
151 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
152 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
153 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
154 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
155 William James College Newton, MA
156 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
157 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
158 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
159 Connecticut College New London, CT
160 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
161 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
162 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
163 Hunter College New York, NY
164 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
165 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
166 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
167 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
168 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
169 The City College of New York New York, NY
170 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
171 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
172 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
173 National University La Jolla, CA
174 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
175 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
176 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
177 Ball State University Muncie, IN
178 Northcentral University La Jolla, CA
179 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
180 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
181 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
182 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
183 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
184 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
185 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
186 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
187 Loras College Dubuque, IA
188 Walden University Minneapolis, MN
189 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
190 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
191 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
192 University of Vermont Burlington, VT

General Psychology by Region

View the Best General Psychology Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

General Psychology is one of 24 different types of Psychology programs to choose from.

Psychology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Psychology 141,695

View All Psychology Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology 33,758
Child Development & Psychology 17,542
Other Psychology 2,683

View All Psychology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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