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2024 Best General Psychology Schools

952 Colleges in the United States
143,648 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$30,411 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 952 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Psychology Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 143,648 degrees in general psychology during the 2021-2022 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
68 Psychology Degrees Awarded

Harvard University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in general psychology. 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 #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Harvard University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$57,366 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is a great option for students pursuing 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 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 41 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general psychology program at University of Pennsylvania get $26,955 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
173 Psychology Degrees Awarded
16.8% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in general psychology. Located in the 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 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 173 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those general psychology students who get their degree from Northwestern University earn $4,340 more than the typical psychology student.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Northwestern University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$38,685 Median Starting Salary

University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general psychology. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were roughly 97 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. General Psychology degree recipients from University of Notre Dame receive an earnings boost of around $8,274 above the average earnings of general psychology graduates.

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

5
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$42,110 Median Starting Salary
$15,415 Median Student Debt

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 22 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general psychology program at Duke University earn $11,699 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Duke University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
720 Psychology Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 720 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general psychology major at University of California - Los Angeles make $13,710 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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
109 Psychology Degrees Awarded
5.5% Growth in Graduates

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 109 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Those general psychology students who get their degree from Georgetown University make $15,525 more than the typical psychology graduate.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Georgetown University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
495 Psychology Degrees Awarded
8.1% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 495 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 state that they receive average early career wages of $31,572.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
531 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$34,392 Median Starting Salary

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 531 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general psychology degree program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $3,981 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
198 Psychology Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 198 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. General Psychology degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of about $4,513 over the average income of general psychology graduates.

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

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Psychology Degrees Awarded
13.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 122 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 make around $28,292 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Vanderbilt University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Psychology Degrees Awarded
21.6% Growth in Graduates

Carnegie Mellon is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent year we have data available. General Psychology degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University receive an earnings boost of about $15,514 above the average earnings of general psychology graduates.

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

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
569 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$27,509 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of College Station. This university ranks 3rd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 569 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, psychology degree recipients generally earn an average of $27,509 in their early careers.

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

14
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
172 Psychology Degrees Awarded
15.1% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 172 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program report average early career income of $29,174.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Emory University

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
408 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$32,079 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 408 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent data year. After graduation, psychology degree recipients generally earn around $32,079 at the beginning of their careers.

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

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Psychology Degrees Awarded
6.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 391 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program report average early career earnings of $28,714.

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

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$29,899 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 285 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, psychology degree recipients typically earn an average of $29,899 in their early careers.

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

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
486 Psychology Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 486 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 wages of $31,788.

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

19
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Psychology Degrees Awarded
17.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were approximately 95 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, psychology degree recipients typically 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

20
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Psychology Degrees Awarded
14.8% Growth in Graduates

SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara. This university ranks 12th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 122 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. General Psychology degree recipients from Santa Clara University get an earnings boost of about $19,670 above the typical earnings of general psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Santa Clara University

21
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
80 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$36,163 Median Starting Salary

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 #22 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 80 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. General Psychology degree recipients from Cornell University get an earnings boost of approximately $5,752 over the typical income of general psychology graduates.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Cornell University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
341 Psychology Degrees Awarded
12.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 341 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general psychology major at Boston University get $6,563 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Boston University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
567 Psychology Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

UMass Amherst is a very large public university located in the suburb of Amherst. This university ranks 11th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 567 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 earn a boost of about $2,944 over the typical earnings of general psychology graduates.

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

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Psychology Degrees Awarded
18.0% Growth in Graduates

The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

There were approximately 133 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general psychology degree program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles earn $10,966 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
422 Psychology Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were about 422 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. 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

Rest of the Top 50 Best General Psychology Schools

26
27
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
28
29
30
31
32

33
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA

34
35
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
35
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
36
37
38
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
39
40

41

42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best General Psychology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 952 different United States general psychology schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
50Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
51Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
52University of HoustonHouston, TX
53Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
54University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
55Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
56University of DenverDenver, CO
57Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
58Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
59Providence CollegeProvidence, RI
60Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
61Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
62The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
63James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
64University of OregonEugene, OR
65University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
66Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
67San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
68University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
69The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
70Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
71University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
72William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
73University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
74University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
75California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
76University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND
77Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
78Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA
79Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
80University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
81Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
82Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
83North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
84University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
85Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
86Queens CollegeQueens, NY
87Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
88Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA
89University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
90Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
91Palo Alto UniversityPalo Alto, CA
92Clark UniversityWorcester, MA
93University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
94Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, IL
95Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
96Kenyon CollegeGambier, OH
97Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA
97Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
98University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
99University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
100California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
101Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, WA
102University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
103Loma Linda UniversityLoma Linda, CA
104School Removed
105College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
106George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
107University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
108California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
109University of North TexasDenton, TX
110University of California - DavisDavis, CA
111Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
112Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
113University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI
114Towson UniversityTowson, MD
115North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
116Elon UniversityElon, NC
117California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
118Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
119University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
120Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
121University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
122California State University - East BayHayward, CA
123Simmons UniversityBoston, MA
124University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD
125Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
126University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
127Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, MD
128Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
128Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
129Saint Joseph’s UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
130Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
131American UniversityWashington, DC
132University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
133Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
134Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
135Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
136University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL
137California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
138University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
139University of South DakotaVermillion, SD
140University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
141Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
141The City College of New YorkNew York, NY

Honorable Mentions

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

RankCollegeLocation
143Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
144Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA
145College of Saint BenedictSaint Joseph, MN
146University of KentuckyLexington, KY
147West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
148University of Missouri - Kansas CityKansas City, MO
149Northcentral UniversitySan Diego, CA
150Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
151Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
152University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
153California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
154University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
155The University of Arizona Global CampusSan Diego, CA
156Wheaton College IllinoisWheaton, IL
157Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA
158University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO
159University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
160Marist CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
161Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT
162DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
163Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
164Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
165San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
166Sewanee - The University of the SouthSewanee, TN
167Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
168The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
169Rutgers University - NewarkNewark, NJ
170University of VermontBurlington, VT
171Xavier UniversityCincinnati, OH
172California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
173Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
174Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
175Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
176The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
177DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
178National UniversitySan Diego, CA
179Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT
180Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC
181University of Missouri - St LouisSaint Louis, MO
182Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA
183California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, CA
184Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
185University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA
186Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
187Kent State University at KentKent, OH
188Walden UniversityMinneapolis, MN
188Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, MN
189Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT
190Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA
190Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL

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

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Psychology143,648

View All Psychology Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology36,293
Child Development & Psychology19,646
Other Psychology2,728

View All Psychology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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