If you’ve already decided what degree you want to earn when you start college, that’s half the work done. However, you still have to decide where you’re going to earn your degree. If you want to earn a degree in psychology, you’ve come to the right place to inform the second half of your decision. Here you’ll find plenty of information on colleges that offer some of the best psychology programs in the country. You can find their student enrollment, graduation rate, and cost of tuition for in-state and out-of-state students as well as more in depth profiles on each college. Take a look, use University HQ's best schools and see if you can find the college that’s right for you.

Learn about which psychology degree type, BS or BA is the right type for your education and career goals.


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Is a Psychology Major Hard?


Deciding whether a psychology major is difficult depends on your strengths, interests, and study habits. Psychology is often seen as a challenging major, but it can also be an intriguing and rewarding field. Psychology is a broad discipline that encompasses various subfields including behavioral science, clinical, cognitive, and social psychology. This means students must grasp both theoretical concepts and research methodologies and be able to apply them to real-world scenarios. Courses typically involve a mix of lectures, labs, research projects, and exams and students are expected to analyze complex theories, conduct experiments, and interpret data.

Some of the more challenging aspects of a psychology major include:

  • Scientific and Research Focus: Psychology relies heavily on research, data analysis, and scientific methods. Students need to be comfortable with statistical analysis, experiment design, and understanding research studies, which can be difficult for those who are not mathematically inclined.
  • Conceptual Depth: Psychology covers a wide range of theories and models related to human behavior, cognition, and emotion. Understanding these theories and their real-world applications can be demanding, particularly when it comes to abstract or nuanced concepts.
  • Writing and Communication: Writing papers, creating research reports, and presenting findings are essential parts of a psychology curriculum. Strong writing and communication skills are required to convey complex ideas clearly, which can be a challenge for some students.
  • Emotional Demands: For those pursuing clinical or counseling psychology, studying mental health and human suffering can be emotionally intense. It requires a certain level of emotional resilience to engage with sensitive topics.

That said, psychology is often described as an accessible major because it draws on many of the skills students already possess, such as critical thinking and curiosity about human behavior. The challenge for most students lies in managing the workload and mastering the research skills required. With the right mindset and time management strategies, many students find success in this field.

If you’re passionate about understanding how the mind works and are willing to invest time and effort into your studies, psychology can be both an intellectually stimulating and personally rewarding major.

What to Expect in a Psychology Program


A psychology program provides a comprehensive study of human behavior, cognition, and emotion, combining theory with practical skills.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Foundational Courses
    Early in your program, you'll take core courses like Introduction to Psychology, Biopsychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology, which lay the groundwork for deeper study.
  • Research Methods and Statistics
    Expect to learn research design, data collection, and statistical analysis, skills that are crucial for understanding and conducting psychological research.
  • Specialized Topics
    As you progress, you can choose from advanced courses in areas like Cognitive Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Health Psychology, and Forensic Psychology, depending on your interests.
  • Practical Experience
    Many programs include internships, lab work, or fieldwork, allowing you to apply theory in real-world settings such as clinics, schools, or research labs.
  • Ethics and Professional Development
    You’ll study ethical issues related to research and practice, along with workshops focused on career preparation and graduate school opportunities.
  • Capstone or Thesis
    In your final years, you may complete a capstone project or thesis, which involves independent research or an applied project, showcasing your ability to apply psychological principles in depth.

These programs usually blend rigorous coursework with hands-on experience, preparing you for a variety of careers or further study in the field.

Top 25 Best Campus Psychology Colleges


1
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $62,484
    • Out-of-State:$62,484
  • Net Price: $18,279
  • Acceptance Rate: 4%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%
  • Total Enrollment: 18,283
  • Undergrad Students: 8,049
  • Graduate Students: 10,234
  • Grads Salary: $116,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 5:1
  • Stanford University
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2
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $59,710
    • Out-of-State:$59,710
  • Net Price: $18,698
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 97%
  • Total Enrollment: 8,842
  • Undergrad Students: 5,604
  • Graduate Students: 3,238
  • Grads Salary: $103,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 5:1
  • Princeton University
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3

Yale University

Score: 88.74

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $64,700
    • Out-of-State:$64,700
  • Net Price: $18,647
  • Acceptance Rate: 5%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 98%
  • Total Enrollment: 14,776
  • Undergrad Students: 6,645
  • Graduate Students: 8,131
  • Grads Salary: $96,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 6:1
  • Yale University
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4

Harvard University

Score: 88.23

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $59,076
    • Out-of-State:$59,076
  • Net Price: $19,491
  • Acceptance Rate: 3%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 98%
  • Total Enrollment: 30,631
  • Undergrad Students: 9,368
  • Graduate Students: 21,263
  • Grads Salary: $96,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 7:1
  • Harvard University
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5

Dartmouth College

Score: 87.42

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $65,739
    • Out-of-State:$65,739
  • Net Price: $19,208
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%
  • Total Enrollment: 6,744
  • Undergrad Students: 4,458
  • Graduate Students: 2,286
  • Grads Salary: $96,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 7:1
  • Dartmouth College
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6

Duke University

Score: 85.74

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $65,805
    • Out-of-State:$65,805
  • Net Price: $23,694
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 97%
  • Total Enrollment: 18,023
  • Undergrad Students: 6,640
  • Graduate Students: 11,383
  • Grads Salary: $95,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 6:1
  • Duke University
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7

Rice University

Score: 85.56

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $58,128
    • Out-of-State:$58,128
  • Net Price: $19,902
  • Acceptance Rate: 9%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%
  • Total Enrollment: 8,672
  • Undergrad Students: 4,494
  • Graduate Students: 4,178
  • Grads Salary: $92,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 6:1
  • Rice University
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8
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $69,045
    • Out-of-State:$69,045
  • Net Price: $22,058
  • Acceptance Rate: 4%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%
  • Total Enrollment: 34,782
  • Undergrad Students: 8,902
  • Graduate Students: 25,880
  • Grads Salary: $91,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 6:1
  • Columbia University
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9
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $63,829
    • Out-of-State:$63,829
  • Net Price: $33,499
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%
  • Total Enrollment: 16,002
  • Undergrad Students: 7,059
  • Graduate Students: 8,943
  • Grads Salary: $108,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 5:1
  • Carnegie Mellon University
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10
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $65,997
    • Out-of-State:$65,997
  • Net Price: $22,095
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 97%
  • Total Enrollment: 23,161
  • Undergrad Students: 8,993
  • Graduate Students: 14,168
  • Grads Salary: $89,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 6:1
  • Northwestern University
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11
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $63,340
    • Out-of-State:$63,340
  • Net Price: $24,034
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%
  • Total Enrollment: 31,275
  • Undergrad Students: 6,044
  • Graduate Students: 25,231
  • Grads Salary: $94,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 6:1
  • Johns Hopkins University
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12
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $14,850
    • Out-of-State:$45,627
  • Net Price: $19,257
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%
  • Total Enrollment: 45,307
  • Undergrad Students: 32,479
  • Graduate Students: 12,828
  • Grads Salary: $97,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 19:1
  • University of California-Berkeley
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13
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $11,764
    • Out-of-State:$32,876
  • Net Price: $17,402
  • Acceptance Rate: 17%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%
  • Total Enrollment: 45,296
  • Undergrad Students: 18,415
  • Graduate Students: 26,881
  • Grads Salary: $95,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 19:1
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
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14
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $66,104
    • Out-of-State:$66,104
  • Net Price: $26,123
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%
  • Total Enrollment: 28,201
  • Undergrad Students: 11,250
  • Graduate Students: 16,951
  • Grads Salary: $94,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 8:1
  • University of Pennsylvania
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15

Brown University

Score: 83.46

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $68,230
    • Out-of-State:$68,230
  • Net Price: $26,723
  • Acceptance Rate: 5%
  • Retention Rate: 99%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%
  • Total Enrollment: 11,189
  • Undergrad Students: 7,639
  • Graduate Students: 3,550
  • Grads Salary: $93,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 6:1
  • Brown University
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16

Cornell University

Score: 82.69

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $66,014
    • Out-of-State:$66,014
  • Net Price: $26,060
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%
  • Total Enrollment: 25,898
  • Undergrad Students: 15,735
  • Graduate Students: 10,163
  • Grads Salary: $93,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 9:1
  • Cornell University
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17
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $64,525
    • Out-of-State:$64,525
  • Net Price: $24,733
  • Acceptance Rate: 17%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%
  • Total Enrollment: 2,243
  • Undergrad Students: 1,867
  • Graduate Students: 376
  • Grads Salary: $90,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 7:1
  • Washington and Lee University
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18
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $13,747
    • Out-of-State:$44,524
  • Net Price: $16,999
  • Acceptance Rate: 9%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%
  • Total Enrollment: 46,430
  • Undergrad Students: 32,423
  • Graduate Students: 14,007
  • Grads Salary: $89,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 18:1
  • University of California-Los Angeles
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19
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $17,228
    • Out-of-State:$58,072
  • Net Price: $19,318
  • Acceptance Rate: 18%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%
  • Total Enrollment: 51,225
  • Undergrad Students: 32,695
  • Graduate Students: 18,530
  • Grads Salary: $88,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 12:1
  • University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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20
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $63,946
    • Out-of-State:$63,946
  • Net Price: $25,606
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%
  • Total Enrollment: 13,710
  • Undergrad Students: 7,151
  • Graduate Students: 6,559
  • Grads Salary: $89,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 7:1
  • Vanderbilt University
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21
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $8,989
    • Out-of-State:$39,330
  • Net Price: $10,614
  • Acceptance Rate: 17%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 91%
  • Total Enrollment: 31,705
  • Undergrad Students: 20,029
  • Graduate Students: 11,676
  • Grads Salary: $77,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 17:1
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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22
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $20,986
    • Out-of-State:$58,014
  • Net Price: $19,469
  • Acceptance Rate: 19%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%
  • Total Enrollment: 26,082
  • Undergrad Students: 17,444
  • Graduate Students: 8,638
  • Grads Salary: $84,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 15:1
  • University of Virginia
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23
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $6,381
    • Out-of-State:$28,659
  • Net Price: $11,740
  • Acceptance Rate: 23%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 90%
  • Total Enrollment: 55,211
  • Undergrad Students: 34,552
  • Graduate Students: 20,659
  • Grads Salary: $79,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 16:1
  • University of Florida
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24
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $62,982
    • Out-of-State:$62,982
  • Net Price: $23,432
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%
  • Total Enrollment: 17,012
  • Undergrad Students: 8,132
  • Graduate Students: 8,880
  • Grads Salary: $83,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 7:1
  • Washington University in St. Louis
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25
  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $15,265
    • Out-of-State:$46,042
  • Net Price: $16,111
  • Acceptance Rate: 24%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%
  • Total Enrollment: 42,006
  • Undergrad Students: 33,096
  • Graduate Students: 8,910
  • Grads Salary: $89,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 19:1
  • University of California-San Diego
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Career Outlook


A psychology degree offers diverse career opportunities, with strong growth expected in several key fields. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for psychologists and related professionals is on the rise, largely driven by increased awareness of mental health and a need for psychological services.

Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists are in particularly high demand. These professionals help diagnose and treat mental health disorders, support individuals through life challenges, and assist students in educational settings. Employment in these areas is expected to grow by 12% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. Those with these degrees can also choose to focus on industrial-organizational psychology, forensic psychology, mental health counseling, psychiatric technicians, etc.

Psychology majors can also pursue careers in research and academia, although job growth in these areas can vary. Graduates with advanced degrees may find opportunities in universities, research firms, or government agencies, often conducting studies on various aspects of human behavior.

Salaries for psychology professionals vary by specialization. Clinical and counseling psychologists earn a median salary of $81,040, while industrial-organizational psychologists make $105,310. Mental health counselors earn around $49,000. Those with advanced degrees typically earn higher salaries, especially in clinical or academic roles. The career outlook for psychology graduates is promising, with increasing job opportunities across various fields as the demand for mental health services and psychological expertise continues to grow.

Where Might You Work?


Psychology graduates can find career opportunities in a wide variety of work environments, depending on their specific field of interest. Whether you’re drawn to clinical practice, research, business, or education, psychology offers a broad range of settings where you can apply your skills.

  • Healthcare Settings
    Many psychologists work in hospitals, clinics, mental health centers, and rehabilitation facilities. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and psychiatric technicians can work directly with patients. Healthcare settings are also common for those specializing in areas like health psychology, neuropsychology, and counseling psychology.
  • Educational Institutions
    Psychologists are also needed in schools, universities, and educational institutions. School psychologists work with students, parents, and teachers to address mental health needs, learning disabilities, and behavioral issues. In higher education, psychologists may work as professors or researchers, conducting studies in various psychological subfields or teaching future generations of students.
  • Private Practice
    For those who want more independence, private practice is a popular option. They can establish their own practices, offering therapy or counseling services to individuals, couples, and families. This allows for flexibility and the ability to specialize.
  • Businesses and Corporations
    Industrial-organizational psychologists often find roles in corporate settings, where they apply psychological principles to improve workplace dynamics, enhance productivity, and manage employee well-being.
  • Government and Legal Settings
    Psychologists can also work in government agencies, law enforcement, or the legal system. Forensic psychologists assist in criminal investigations, provide expert testimony in court, and conduct mental health assessments for legal cases.
  • Nonprofits and Social Services
    Many psychologists work in nonprofit organizations, community centers, or social service agencies, where they hold positions that often focus on providing counseling, outreach programs, and crisis intervention services to vulnerable populations.
  • Research and Academic Settings
    For those interested in the scientific and academic side of psychology, universities, research institutions, and think tanks provide opportunities to conduct studies on human behavior, cognition, and mental health. Psychologists working in research settings may design and lead studies, analyze data, and contribute to advancements in psychological theories and practices.

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