by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Child Development & Psychology is the 57th most popular major in the country with 19,646 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 904 child development & psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major” ranking analyzed 98 colleges that offered a degree in child development & psychology. That schools that top this list have a program in child development & psychology in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Integral Studies. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s child development degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Teachers College at Columbia University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major. Teachers College is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nevada - Reno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Reno, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s child development degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pace University - New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s child development students 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s child development degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Yale University
Princeton University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 12 doctorate’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Princeton University
The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #7. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s child development students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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 The Graduate Center
Hofstra University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Hofstra is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hempstead, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Saint Louis University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s child development degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Saint Louis University
With a ranking of #10, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Washington University in St Louis
University of California - Riverside ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s child development degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Rochester did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #12. University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at University of Rochester
The New School ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 6 doctorate’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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at The New School
University of Notre Dame came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s child development degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. 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.
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking, coming in at #15. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 7 doctorate’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Kansas
With a ranking of #16, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 10 doctorate’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Lehigh University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s child development degrees to qualified students.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Lehigh University Child Development & Psychology Report
University of Connecticut ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. This large school is located in Storrs, Connecticut, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. 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 full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Connecticut
Drexel University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s child development degrees to 8 students 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Drexel University Child Development & Psychology Report
With a ranking of #20, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 15 doctorate’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 28 doctorate’s child development degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 35 doctorate’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Massachusetts - Boston ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Massachusetts - Boston
University of Arizona ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s child development degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Arizona
University of Chicago landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Child Development Major ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s child development degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 full report on Child Development & Psychology at UChicago
Read more about our data sources and methodologies