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2025 Best General Psychology Associate Degree Schools in California

18 Colleges in California
11,995 Associate Degrees
$24,537 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #8 in popularity, general psychology is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 18 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Psychology Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 11,995 associate degrees in general psychology during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great General Psychology School for Your Associate Degree

Best General Psychology Associate Degree Schools in California Your choice of general psychology for getting your associate degree school matters. Important measures of a quality psychology program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for general psychology students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Psychology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Psychology Associate Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study General Psychology in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in general psychology.

10 Top California Schools for an Associate in Psychology

1
Merced Community College District crest
Merced College
Merced, CA

Merced College is a good choice for students pursuing an associate degree in general psychology. Merced Community College District is a large public college located in the city of Merced.

Those general psychology students who get their associate degree from Merced College earn $9,904 more than the typical psychology student.

More information about a associate in general psychology from Merced College

2

Modesto Junior College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in general psychology. Located in the medium-sized city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the psychology program state that they receive average early career wages of $25,832.

More information about a associate in general psychology from Modesto Junior College

3
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA
199 Annual Graduates

Southwestern College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in general psychology. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Chula Vista.More information about a associate in general psychology from Southwestern College

4

Any student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in general psychology has to check out Pasadena City College. Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Pasadena City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the psychology program earn about $24,894 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a associate in general psychology from Pasadena City College

5
College of the Canyons crest
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, CA
222 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in general psychology from College of the Canyons

6
College of the Desert crest
College of the Desert
Palm Desert, CA

Located in the small city of Palm Desert, College of the Desert is a public college with a large student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the psychology program earn around $25,792 for their early career.

More information about a associate in general psychology from College of the Desert

7
156 Annual Graduates

IVC is a moderately-sized public college located in the rural area of Imperial.More information about a associate in general psychology from Imperial Valley College

8

Mt. SAC is a very large public college located in the suburb of Walnut.

Soon after graduation, psychology associate recipients generally make an average of $16,894 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in general psychology from Mt. San Antonio College

9
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, CA
143 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sacramento City is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in general psychology from Sacramento City College

10

Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Those general psychology students who get their associate degree from Fresno City College receive $2,884 more than the typical psychology grad.

More information about a associate in general psychology from Fresno City College

Best General Psychology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best General Psychology Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Oregon 147 19
Washington 131 0
Nevada 112 163

View All Rankings >

General Psychology is one of 24 different types of Psychology programs to choose from.

Psychology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Psychology 11,995

Majors Similar to Psychology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Psychology 20

Notes and References

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