by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 29 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Psychology Doctor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,564 doctor's degrees in psychology to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of psychology for getting your doctor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality psychology program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
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 colleges for psychology students working on their doctor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Psychology Doctor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in psychology.
Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in psychology needs to look into University of California - Irvine. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of California - Irvine
University of California - Los Angeles is a good option for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in psychology. UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of California - Los Angeles
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in psychology. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of Southern California
Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in psychology needs to check out Palo Alto University. Located in the rural area of Palo Alto, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a doctorate in psychology from Palo Alto University
UCSB is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of California - San Diego
UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of California - Davis
Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in psychology from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the large suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in psychology from Azusa Pacific University
Explore the best psychology colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 30 | 1,176 |
| Washington | 27 | 73 |
| Oregon | 27 | 112 |
| Nevada | 25 | 41 |
| Hawaii | 23 | 26 |
| Alaska | 10 | 11 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology | 1,058 |
| General Psychology | 210 |
| Child Development & Psychology | 192 |
| Other Psychology | 104 |
