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2023 Best Psychology Schools

1,003 Colleges in the United States
195,678 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$35,611 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in psychology is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #8 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual reviewed 1,003 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of psychology. Combined, these schools handed out 195,678 degrees in psychology to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Psychology School

Best Psychology Schools Your choice of psychology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall 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.

Pick Your Psychology Degree Level

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Psychology Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Psychology in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the psychology degrees they offer, see the list below. 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
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Psychology Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

Duke University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in psychology. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 169 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the psychology degree program at Duke University make $6,499 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in psychology from Duke University

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$51,407 Median Starting Salary

Stanford University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in psychology. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 63 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Psychology degree recipients from Stanford University earn a boost of around $15,796 over the average income of psychology majors.

More information about a degree in psychology from Stanford University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Psychology Degrees Awarded
8.6% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Washington University in St Louis if you wish to pursue a degree in psychology. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. This university ranks 1st out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were about 222 psychology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, psychology degree recipients generally earn around $36,104 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in psychology from Washington University in St Louis

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Psychology Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Notre Dame is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in psychology. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 120 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the psychology degree program at University of Notre Dame make $3,074 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

5
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Psychology Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 158 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available. Psychology degree recipients from Harvard University get an earnings boost of around $18,316 above the average income of psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in psychology from Harvard University

6
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Psychology Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were approximately 103 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Psychology degree recipients from Yale University earn a boost of about $6,281 over the typical income of psychology majors.

More information about a degree in psychology from Yale University

7
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$37,636 Median Starting Salary

Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were about 73 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Those psychology students who get their degree from Brown University earn $2,025 more than the standard psychology grad.

More information about a degree in psychology from Brown University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
264 Psychology Degrees Awarded
18.6% Growth in Graduates

Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 264 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the psychology major at Columbia University in the City of New York get $6,295 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in psychology from Columbia University in the City of New York

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
462 Psychology Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

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 2,241 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 462 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern 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 $37,290.

More information about a degree in psychology from Northwestern University

10
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
320 Psychology Degrees Awarded
11.6% Growth in Graduates

UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 320 psychology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the psychology major at University of Pennsylvania make $18,715 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in psychology from University of Pennsylvania

11
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. This university ranks 1st out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 103 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the psychology major at Georgetown University get $10,325 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in psychology from Georgetown University

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 2,241 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were roughly 29.000000000000004 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Psychology degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University receive an earnings boost of around $10,314 above the average earnings of psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$36,163 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 102 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell 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 $36,163.

More information about a degree in psychology from Cornell University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 Psychology Degrees Awarded
14.7% Growth in Graduates

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 163 psychology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Those psychology students who get their degree from University of Chicago make $2,087 more than the standard psychology graduate.

More information about a degree in psychology from University of Chicago

15
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$40,760 Median Starting Salary

Williams is a small private not-for-profit college located in the fringe town of Williamstown. This college ranks 3rd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 38 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Williams in the most recent data year. Psychology degree recipients from Williams College earn a boost of about $5,149 over the average earnings of psychology majors.

More information about a degree in psychology from Williams College

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
376 Psychology Degrees Awarded
25.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, The Chicago School Chicago Campus is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were roughly 376 psychology students who graduated with this degree at The Chicago School Chicago Campus in the most recent data year. Psychology degree recipients from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago get an earnings boost of about $17,610 over the typical income of psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
752 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$30,126 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 752 psychology students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the psychology program earn an average of $30,126 for their early career.

More information about a degree in psychology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

18
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$45,198 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 43 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the psychology degree program at Princeton University get $9,587 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in psychology from Princeton University

19
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$45,057 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 schools for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were about 54 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Psychology degree recipients from Dartmouth College earn a boost of about $9,446 above the typical earnings of psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in psychology from Dartmouth College

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
540 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$38,780 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 540 psychology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the psychology degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $3,169 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
593 Psychology Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 593 psychology students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the psychology program make about $33,147 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in psychology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

22
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
370 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$37,074 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 369.99999999999994 psychology students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. After graduation, psychology degree recipients usually make about $37,074 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in psychology from Boston University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,116 Psychology Degrees Awarded
3.0% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 6th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 1116 psychology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA 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 $37,572.

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

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
339 Psychology Degrees Awarded
5.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small 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 339 psychology students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Psychology degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of about $2,820 over the average earnings of psychology majors.

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

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
382 Psychology Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP 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 Maryland.

There were about 382 psychology students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Those psychology students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park earn $11,144 more than the average psychology grad.

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

Rest of the Top 50 Best Psychology Schools

25
26
27
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
28
29
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
30
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
31
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

32
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

33
34
35
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
36
37
38
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, ME
39
40

41

42
43
44
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
45
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
46
47
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, PA
48
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
49
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Psychology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 1003 different United States psychology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
51 Elon University Elon, NC
52 Fielding Graduate University Santa Barbara, CA
53 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
54 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
55 Iowa State University Ames, IA
56 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
57 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
58 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
59 Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL
60 The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Washington DC Washington, DC
61 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
62 The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
63 Villanova University Villanova, PA
64 Palo Alto University Palo Alto, CA
65 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
66 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
67 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
68 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
69 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
70 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
71 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
72 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
73 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
74 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
75 Fordham University Bronx, NY
76 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
77 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
78 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
79 Amherst College Amherst, MA
80 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
81 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
82 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
83 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
84 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
85 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
86 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
87 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
88 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
89 American University Washington, DC
90 Tufts University Medford, MA
91 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
92 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
93 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
94 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
95 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
96 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
97 Clemson University Clemson, SC
98 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
99 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
100 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
101 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
102 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
103 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
104 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
105 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
106 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
107 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
108 University of Denver Denver, CO
109 Barnard College New York, NY
110 Washington State University Pullman, WA
111 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
112 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
113 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
114 Alliant International University San Diego, CA
115 Adler University Chicago, IL
116 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
117 Towson University Towson, MD
118 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
119 William James College Newton, MA
120 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
121 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
122 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
123 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
124 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
125 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
126 University of Houston Houston, TX
127 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
128 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
129 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
130 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
131 University at Albany Albany, NY
132 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
133 University of North Texas Denton, TX
134 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
135 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
136 Florida International University Miami, FL
137 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
138 University of Delaware Newark, DE
139 Auburn University Auburn, AL
140 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
141 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
142 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
143 Seattle University Seattle, WA
144 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
145 Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA
146 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
147 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
148 Northeastern University Boston, MA
149 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
150 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Psychology Schools award.

Rank College Location
151 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
152 Clark University Worcester, MA
153 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
154 Queens College Queens, NY
155 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
156 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
157 Illinois State University Normal, IL
158 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
159 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
160 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
161 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
162 Baylor University Waco, TX
163 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
164 Capella University Minneapolis, MN
165 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
166 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
167 Connecticut College New London, CT
168 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
169 Providence College Providence, RI
170 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
171 Simmons University Boston, MA
172 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
173 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
174 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
175 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
176 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
177 Pacific University Forest Grove, OR
178 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
179 Trinity College Hartford, CT
180 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
181 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
182 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
183 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
184 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL
185 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
186 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
187 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
188 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
189 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
190 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
191 California Institute of Integral Studies San Francisco, CA
192 Purdue University Global Indianapolis, IN
193 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
194 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
195 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
196 Ball State University Muncie, IN
197 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
198 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL
199 DePaul University Chicago, IL
200 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY

Psychology by Region

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

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Psychology Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General Psychology 141,695
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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