Top 100 Best Affordable Psychology Programs

Choosing an Affordable Psychology College

Future psychology students have many factors they can focus on if they are looking for affordable college degrees. Some may be more important than others but they may all influence the student’s eventual decision.

The biggest factor may be the majors and minors each school offers. Even if students haven’t made up their minds that they are majoring in psychology or another field, it’s best to find a school that offers plenty of opportunity for exploration within a variety of fields.

Tuition cost is also high on the list of what factors most students use to decide where to attend school. Students may be aware that their family cannot afford to give them an Ivy League education. Therefore, they will weigh the overall cost along with other factors. Completing their research and talking to the financial aid offices of several schools can help you narrow down your choices. Or it may even expand your options if you are eligible for financial aid in the form of grants or scholarships. These can make even the most expensive tuition reasonable for any student.

Tuition has only increased over the past few decades. This has led to students taking on student loan debt which, after graduation, must be repaid. To avoid this possibility, students should explore the costs of each college, including hidden costs. A few questions you can ask that might give you some insight includes: Is this school for-profit or non-profit? Does the tuition include fees? How much is tuition? Does the school offer financial aid options? What are they?

Next, students may have to consider location. Will they go to school out-of-state and risk paying higher tuition or will they find a good program in-state? All of these things affect the cost of attending school and even the surrounding costs of returning home for holidays/summer. If you have to fly home, each trip will obviously be more expensive.

Looking for recreational activities close to the schools they are considering may lead students to rank one school higher than the others as well. Relaxing with a hike or visit to a park in their free time may be an inexpensive pursuit that they won’t have access to in some cities.

Students should also feel comfortable while they are visiting a particular campus. This is why those college tours are vital. Walking around campus, going into different academic buildings, stopping in at the student center, and even walking through quads or the grounds of a few dormitories may give students a feel for the campus environment. When students can see themselves living on a campus for four years, they are close to a choice. They should also look at rural and urban settings, the accessibility of cultural activities and public transportation.

Online Options

Online degree programs are a necessity for some students. They may be working while they attend school, which can make on-campus classes unrealistic. Or they may have family obligations which take up significant portions of their time.

Narrowing this down to psychology programs, students who need an online degree program should look for a university or college that can satisfy their career goals and offer a legitimate education in this field, including having accreditation.

The level of the psychology degree also matters. An online degree program is realistic for students in associate or bachelor’s psychology programs, though some classes may have hands-on components that you must take. It’s best to check with the school, and the psychology department specifically, for the program you are considering since physiology classes can have hands-on components, as can any course dealing with counseling. Once students have earned their associate or bachelor’s degree, they should be able to find entry-level positions.

As you consider a master’s or doctorate degree in psychology, you may run into schools that don’t have properly accredited online degree programs. Students who are limited to online psychology degree programs should verify the accreditation status of each school they are exploring. The school has to be accredited in order for you to receive federal student aid and meet licensure requirements for any counseling license in any state. This should preferably be regional accreditation.

Will online psychology programs allow students to choose a concentration? Again, this is an area that students should investigate before making their final choice. Will the online college require in-person or hybrid attendance? This is more likely as students begin moving into higher degree levels and satisfying clinical or internship requirements.

Students planning to complete online degree programs may also want to conduct research with members of the faculty. Depending on the school, carrying out research virtually may be a possibility or they may be able to complete their research at a school closer to their home.

Psychology Graduates Earn More After College

A community college graduate who has earned their psychology degree earn around $47,000 with this degree. And, if they return to school and earn a post-graduate diploma in psychology, their annual pay may increase slightly to $48,000.

College graduates who have earned their bachelor’s degree in psychology earn an average of $64,000. With this degree, they may also be able to transition into a human resources role or another business role. However, should a psychology graduate want to advance into the role of human resources manager, they may have to return to school to earn a business degree specializing in human resources.

Someone graduating with their master’s degree in psychology earns $47,000 to $60,000. After working in a counseling position, they may be promoted to a behavioral health director’s position, which pays $101,000. They will also have access to well-paid counseling positions assuming they earn their license and find a group to practice with.

A graduate of a master’s in counseling psychology earns around $47,000. They may want to begin working directly as a counselor, or as a mental health clinician. This career move may allow them to increase their annual pay to $53,000.

Someone who has earned a master’s degree in psychology (non-MBA) may expect to earn $62,000. Depending on the courses and specialties they took, they may be qualified to work as a human resources consultant, where they may earn $83,000.