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2025 Best General Psychology Schools in California

79 Colleges in California
30,073 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$34,325 Avg Early-Career Salary
General Psychology is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #4 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 79 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Psychology Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 30,073 degrees in general psychology to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Psychology School

Best General Psychology Schools in California 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for general psychology schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Psychology Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for General Psychology in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the psychology degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

15 Top California Schools in Psychology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
720 Psychology Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in general psychology needs to look into University of California - Los Angeles. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 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. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program report average early career earnings of $32,698.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Psychology Degrees Awarded
6.1% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Irvine is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in general psychology. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were about 391 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the psychology program make about $27,115 for their early career.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Psychology Program Name

Advance in your human services or psychology career, or prepare for graduate studies in a variety of fields at Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
198 Psychology Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general psychology. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 198 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the psychology program earn an average of $34,139 in their early career salary.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
446 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$30,730 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in general psychology has to check out University of California - Santa Cruz. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were about 446 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, psychology degree recipients typically make around $30,730 in the first five years of their career.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
320 Psychology Degrees Awarded
32.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 320 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the psychology program make an average of $29,144 in their early career salary.

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

6
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 midsize city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 122 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Those general psychology students who get their degree from Santa Clara University receive $4,262 more than the typical psychology student.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
724 Psychology Degrees Awarded
11.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were about 724 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the psychology program earn about $30,457 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in general psychology from San Diego State University

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MS in Psychology Program Name

Our Master of Science in Psychology program is designed to extend your knowledge and discipline in psychology, preparing you for a wide variety of professions and contexts.

More information about a degree in MS in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
174th Most Popular In CA
37 Psychology Degrees Awarded

UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 37 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
565 Psychology Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 565 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year. After graduation, psychology degree recipients generally make about $27,511 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general psychology from California State University - Long Beach

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
297 Psychology Degrees Awarded
7.4% Growth in Graduates

Pepperdine is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Malibu. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pepperdine is a great university overall.

There were about 297 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the psychology program earn about $34,959 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Pepperdine University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
912 Psychology Degrees Awarded
11.0% Growth in Graduates

Cal State Fullerton is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fullerton. This university ranks 41st out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 912 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $27,965.

More information about a degree in general psychology from California State University - Fullerton

12
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$36,734 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USFCA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 150 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general psychology program at University of San Francisco get $2,409 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of San Francisco

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
944 Psychology Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

CSUN is a very large public university located in the city of Northridge. This university ranks 48th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 944 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at CSUN in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the psychology program make about $28,603 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general psychology from California State University - Northridge

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
171 Psychology Degrees Awarded
$32,525 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Azusa Pacific is a great university overall.

There were about 171 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, psychology degree recipients usually earn an average of $32,525 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general psychology from Azusa Pacific University

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Psychology Degrees Awarded
18.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of San Diego, USD is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 35th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 123 general psychology students who graduated with this degree at USD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the psychology program report average early career income of $35,595.

More information about a degree in general psychology from University of San Diego

Rest of the Top Best General Psychology Schools in California

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best General Psychology Schools in California award.

Rank College Location
16 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
17 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
18 Merced College Merced, CA
19 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
20 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
21 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
22 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
23 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
24 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
25 The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
26 Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA

Best General Psychology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 1,737
Oregon 266 1,632
Nevada 192 908
Hawaii 164 389
Alaska 119 109

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 30,073

View All Psychology Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Psychology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology 6,805
Child Development & Psychology 4,266
Other Psychology 489

View All Psychology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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