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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major

183 Ranked Colleges
16,579 Degrees Awarded
$31,728 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Child Development Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2021-2022, 19,646 people earned their degree in child development & psychology, making the major the 57th most popular in the United States. In , child development & psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $34,037 and had an average of $23,167 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 16,579 child development & psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major” ranking, we looked at 183 colleges that offer a degree in child development & psychology. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their child development & psychology program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Child Development & Psychology

1
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bates College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. This small school is located in Lewiston, Maine, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Bates College

2
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pitzer College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Pitzer

3
Whitman crest
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Whitman College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major. Located in Walla Walla, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Whitman Child Development & Psychology Report

4
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Out of the 183 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Forest College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 41 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Lake Forest

5
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Scripps College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major. Scripps College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Scripps Child Development & Psychology Report

6
Cottey College crest
Cottey College
Nevada, Missouri

With a ranking of #6, Cottey College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Cottey College is a small school located in Nevada, Missouri that handed out 9 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Cottey College

7
Mt. Holyoke crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 83 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Mount Holyoke College

8
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #8, Barnard College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Barnard College

9
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Claremont McKenna College

10
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Wellesley College

11
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Park University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Park University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 178 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Park University Child Development & Psychology Report

12

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #12. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 578 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of California - Riverside

13
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Amherst

14
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #14. St Olaf College is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full St. Olaf Child Development & Psychology Report

15
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. UNF is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 306 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at UNF

16

University of California - Davis landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 924 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Child Development & Psychology Report

17

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 616 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at University of California - Santa Barbara

18

Northeastern State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Tahlequah, Oklahoma is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 149 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northeastern State University Child Development & Psychology Report

19
Union College crest
Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

Union College New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #19. Union College New York is located in Schenectady, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Union College Child Development & Psychology Report

20
Montclair State crest
Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Montclair State is a large public school situated in Montclair, New Jersey. It awarded 423 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Montclair State Child Development & Psychology Report

21
Wabash crest
Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

Wabash College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Wabash is a private not-for-profit institution located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Wabash

22
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Luther College

23
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #23. Albion College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Albion, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Albion College

24
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 43 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Carleton College

25
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Vassar College

Rest of the Best 28 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child Development Major

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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