Best program psychology undergraduate

Undergraduates who earn a BS typically pursue roles in medicine, science, and beyond. Those with a BA in psychology tend to follow counseling roles. Explore our featured online programs and find the right match for you today.

As a field, psychology has numerous sub-domains. Psychologists work in many different settings doing many different things. Common sub-domains include:. This career could take you into the legal system, the medical world, a private practice, a school setting, a laboratory, a retirement home, and beyond. No matter which one of these subdomains you choose, your career at its core will cover common tasks: observe human behavior, identify patterns in that behavior, diagnose possible disorders at the root of that behavior, and work with clients to find strategies to move forward.

Psychologists in their many career forms can make a highly lucrative income, especially with advanced degrees. The lower income brackets fall to clinical and counseling psychologists, while the higher annual incomes tend to be for industrial-organizational psychologists.

The job outlook for psychology graduates looks increasingly positive, too. In the next seven years, psychologists will see an employment growth of 14 percent. To find the best degrees for you, we look at the best schools in the country based on reputation, student satisfaction, program quality, and return on investment.

Then we review the bottom line — just how much is this going to cost? Check out our methodology page for a more in-depth description of our data. The schools below not only house the best psychology programs in the nation, but are also some of the best universities in the nation.

Consider which career path within psychology you want to pursue, and charge onward! Stanford University earns the No. The Silicon Valley-based research university not only houses the top psychology program nationally, but it also ranks globally No.

The Psychology major at Stanford encompasses total credits, but 70 of those will be specifically in psychology. During the final year, psychology honors students will spend a full year immersed in research. The program also allows students to concentrate their studies on one of four focus tracks:. Undergraduates can take advantage of the Psych-Summer Research Program. A shining public research institution of the west coast, UC Berkeley stands out for its well-developed psychology program. In fact, it stands tied with Stanford University for the No.

It only falls second here for its lower global ranking. The entire credit curriculum revolves around these areas with courses like:.

If research is your thing, you can jump into the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program. Or, you can work on keeping your GPA above a 3. There, students will take four additional courses to deepen their expertise in psychology. A cornerstone of higher education in the United States, Yale University is an Ivy League institution with a history that reaches back to The Department of Psychology is a popular place for undergraduates.

Everything but the course content is the same for both tracks. The degree itself is quite interdisciplinary at Yale.

It leaves lots of room for students to explore their own research interests. In fact, the final Senior Requirement is a two-course endeavor that includes either a non-empirical literature review or an empirical research experiment.

Psychology is one of the most sought-after majors for Harvard undergraduates. At Harvard, undergraduate psychology majors can choose between three core pathways: the General Track, the Cognitive Science Track, and the Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology track.

Each include fascinating upper-level courses such as:. Harvard makes it clear that psychology students can only pursue one concentration within the major. But there are other ways to specialize. Princeton University adds its own presence and academic excellence to the Ivy League strongholds on the east coast. The New Jersey-based research university has a top-ranked Department of Psychology with award-winning faculty members. A total of 11 core courses are required for the BS in Psychology at Princeton — three prerequisites and eight major courses.

In addition to the core degree program, Princeton offers certificate programs for undergraduate psychology students in areas such as:. The program integrates lab options into early coursework so that younger students will be more than prepared for independent research later. Founded by Benjamin Franklin in , the University of Pennsylvania is an academic and historical hub of Philadelphia.

It ranks among the first tier research universities in the nation for its academic research productivity. The BA in Psychology at Penn keeps students on an organized, core-based curriculum plan. Students have the chance to step up their game in a number of ways at Penn. For one, they can join the Honors Program in Psychology, which includes a faculty-guided research project. It is home to over 45, students.

Between a robust curriculum, fieldwork, special programming, and student organizations, psychology students at UCLA leave well-equipped for their future careers. While each share core classes, their speciality requirements are totally unique. Here are some course highlights:. This is a student-led academic journal that has the potential to deepen your experience in both research and academic publishing.

Both tracks include engaging methods lab courses, upper-level courses, internship opportunities, and more. If you already know you want to earn an advanced degree in psychology, the University of Michigan has got your back! It acts as an apprenticeship program where students are invited to participate from faculty mentors. The University of Florida is a research university that boasts land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant designations.

The UF Psychology Department offers specializes in five core areas for undergraduate and graduate students. Each track includes a minimum of 30 credits in the major. You can finish this program in four years. It ranks globally No. The coursework in the psychology major at Columbia University includes a little of everything — foundations, research, and statistics. More specifically, courses might look like this:. Numerous courses at Barnard are cross-listed for Columbia students.

Undergraduates can take up to nine psychology credits at Barnard College. Globally renowned, the University of Chicago is a school that will get you places. The University of Chicago has graduated historical figures such as John Dewey, founder of functional psychology.

The BS in Psychology at the University of Chicago brings together courses from a broad range of disciplines — everything from biology to statistics to the social sciences. The curriculum features core courses, a breadth requirement, a research requirement, and psychology electives. Some of those classes include:. Through Psi Chi, the undergraduate psychology club, students will be able to connect with their peers.

The club features movie nights, lectures, workshops, and other social events. Based in Houston, Texas, Rice University is a mid-sized private research university that excels in its small class sizes student to faculty ratio and strong academics.

Around 7, students attend each year. The Department of Psychological Sciences puts a deep emphasis on research opportunities. Psychology students at Rice University will complete a total of credits, with 47 of those directly relating to the major. The core requirements are intended to give an introductory overview of the major philosophies in modern psychology. As such, all students will take:. In order to graduate with honors, Rice students in their final year can apply for a specific research project or honors thesis.

This is a competitive qualification, and qualifying students must have a minimum GPA of 3. Undergraduates will need to work hard to be admitted to Brown University. This Ivy League university has an acceptance rate of just 6. The school is known for its Fulbright scholarship winners. The only difference between the two is that the BS requires four additional science courses and a lab experience. The elective course options for psychology undergraduates at Brown shine bright in this curriculum.

Students can devote four of their course requirements to electives. It enrolls close to 44, students annually. The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is home to 52 tenured faculty members. Rather, the philosophy is that will work closely with faculty members and select coursework that fits with their particular interests.

Here are some you might select:. While there are not designated concentrations in this program, IU-Bloomington does offer three unique undergraduate certifications. Founded in , Vanderbilt University has been an academic center in Nashville for nearly years.

Despite its size of around 13, students, class sizes remain intimate, with a student-to-faculty ratio of Undergraduate psychology students at Vanderbilt will take either 36 hours in the General track or 42 hours in the Honors track. Coursework highlights include:.

This program has built-in opportunities to get you closer to that goal. For example, students can take upper-level statistics courses, directed research work, and more. The University of Wisconsin — Madison proudly stands as the oldest and largest university in the state. It annually enrolls around 44, students, most of whom are undergraduates. The depth courses allow students to specialize in areas such as:.

The breadth requirement in this curriculum makes sure you graduate with a solid grasp of core psychology subcategories. As such, students will take three classes from at least three of the following breadth areas: Biological, Clinical, Cognitive and Perceptual Science, Developmental, Social and Personality. Over 1, University of Minnesota undergraduates major in psychology annually.

Or you can stay on campus and take fascinating coursework like:. If finances are a concern for you, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities has numerous scholarship options and awards within the psychology program.

Among them is a Psychology Engagement Award, intended for students who are interested in applying psychology in their community. The majority of undergraduate psychology students decide to go on to graduate school. The BS is intended for students who plan on pursuing a professional health career. For both degrees, students will take two core classes then 21 credits in related coursework such as:. Over the course of two semesters, honors students will take three upper-level research courses, and then complete an original research project.

Students must also maintain a 3. This Pittsburgh-based research university has nearly talented faculty members to lead students through the psychology curriculum. CMU also offers access to amazing technology for brain and cognitive research.

Research is deeply embedded throughout the program, and applied in coursework throughout. These psychology-adjacent degrees are perfect for students who want to specialize their studies and pursue laboratory research. An academic splash in the midst of Los Angeles glam, the University of Southern California proudly stands as the oldest private research university in California. Undergraduate psychology students learn from the best at USC.

Undergraduates will take five required courses to create a foundational knowledge. Then, they branch out and take one course in each of the following psych categories: Cognitive, Developmental, Clinical, Biological, and Social. Courses include:. In addition to taking classes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, students will be able to explore the geography, traditions, and cuisine of China. It maintains campuses in Qatar, Miami, San Francisco, and beyond. The Department of Psychology was founded in and has grown to host a strong faculty force of 41 members.

The major in psychology at Northwestern covers a total of 45 credits within the larger credit requirements. Classes are designed in a way that accommodates working students. Courses are offered at both the Evanston and downtown Chicago campuses. Additionally, classes are held just once per week, oftentimes in the evening or on the weekend. The Psychology Department was founded in and houses around 1, undergraduate majors. Specific coursework includes:.

Nestled within sister cities in central Illinois, the University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign is the flagship campus of the state system. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill prepares its undergraduate psychology students for bright careers and higher level psychological education. This allows students and faculty to pursue demanding and large-scale research projects that would otherwise be too demanding. The department also allows its psychology students to tailor their degrees according to their interests by offering both a B.

Brown University recently strengthened its psychology program by forming their Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences. This department sets itself apart through integrated and interdisciplinary study of the mind, brain, and behavior. Thus the program is able to offer unique undergraduate concentrations including: cognitive neuroscience, cognitive science, linguistics, and of course general psychology.

Northwestern University maintains a year old and highly prestigious psychology department. Undergraduates are taught the general foundations of psychology, and then are encouraged to pursue deeper research in their interest areas through work-study, independent research, academic-year grants, and summer fellowship opportunities.

These research avenues also give students the chance to work with faculty outside of the classroom on various research projects. The department prides itself on the out-of-class opportunities it is able to offer in the form of independent research, community service opportunities, internships, and research assistantships where students work with internationally renowned faculty researchers.

The department also allows students to choose whether they wish to pursue a B. Duke University plays a leading role in the development of neuroscience, as its Department of Psychology and Neuroscience is one of few in the country to offer undergraduates the chance to major in neuroscience, and establish a specialization early on.

The department also encouragers interdisciplinary collaboration, and encourages students to bring new perspectives to course material. Also, students are rewarded with stipends and other financial support when their research projects are successful—a rare and impressive incentive. Pennsylvania State University offers its undergraduate students both B. The department is constantly improving syllabi, teaching styles, and research opportunities in order to offer its students the greatest chance of success.

A great strength of the program is that students are given the opportunity to establish research specializations by collaborating with faculty member across various concentrations. The large number of connections to nearby universities, research labs, and other medical facilities mean that students are free to pursue almost any research interest. The University of California, Irvine maintains a state-of-the-art psychology program. Psychology as a subject is extremely broad, which causes a great deal of disagreement as to how and what should be taught at the undergraduate level.

The University of California, Irvine addresses this problem by offering two psychology departments, the Department of Cognitive Sciences, and the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior. Although this forces undergraduates make decisions about their research interests early on, it allows the course load and syllabi to be deep and more focused, rather than broad and introductory. The psychology major is one of the most developed and popular undergraduate majors at the University of Florida.

The psychology department offers students the option the standard degree in psychology or to explore a biological concentration through the neurobiological major. Both majors are exposed to paraprofessional actives, experience building volunteer-work, research, and internship opportunities.

The program ensures the learning needed for a career or higher education in the field of psychology. The University of Virginia offers an annual Undergraduate Psychology Conference to cater to its psychology majors, one of the most popular majors at the university. The conference gives undergraduates the opportunity to explore their research interests, and showcase their projects. The faculty are heavily involved with prominent research, spanning seven major areas, and encourage students to become involved and pick up valuable experience.

The University of Miami encourages research-focused learning in their psychology programs. By offering a funded summer research program, Psychology Research Initiatives Mentorship Experience PRIME , the department is able to give students a head-start in psychological research. The program also gives students the opportunity to pursue a B. Ohio University is nationally and internationally respected for its contributions to the field of psychology.

The program offers students degrees in Psychology and in Psychology-pre-physical therapy. At the University of Georgia, majoring in psychology is one of the most popular routes of study. The psychology program is nationally recognized for offering top-ranked graduate studies, especially in clinical psychology. By association, the undergraduate program offers students excellent research opportunities and the option to get a head-start in clinical practicum.

The size of the university and the vast resources at its disposal make UGA a definite contender for students seeking research or clinical specializations at the undergraduate level.

The University of Massachusetts, Amherst offers its psychology students great research, internship, and community-involvement opportunities.

Also, the program is unique in its effort to maintain high-standards of multi-cultural and interdisciplinary values, demonstrated by the two departmental groups: The Advancing Diversity in Research and Practice Program, and the Multicultural Association of Psychology Students. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey offers a well-rounded undergraduate and graduate psychology education. The university maintains strong ties to a large variety of laboratories, mental health clinics, schools, and other medical facilities in order to offer its students excellent internship opportunities, which are a crucial part of the program.

Psychology students can choose between a B. With over 70 active researchers in the psychology faculty, students are exposed to diverse research concentrations and perspectives.

Vanderbilt University is a respected private university that constantly improves its psychology department in order to offer students the background needed to pursue graduate education, or enter into a respectable field. The University of Maryland, College Park caters to its large number of students through its highly accomplished faculty in the psychology department. The department divides their research concentrations and projects into three themes: brain, mind, and behavior, mental health, and social, group, and cultural processes.

The University boasts above average funding awards, research grants, and graduate program placement of its undergraduate students. The University of Texas, Houston is a well-known university with an extremely dynamic psychology program. The University emphasizes personal interest, and allows psychology students to earn either a B.

The psychology major is among the most popular at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and the students and faculty of the psychology department are nationally recognized for achievement across various areas. Students pursuing research experience have a wide variety of scientific facilities research teams to make use of, and are encouraged to engage in off-campus research internships.

George Washington University is well-known for having a smaller student and faculty population and for offering extensive resources comparable to those of much larger universities. This gives students pursuing psychological research experience an incredible opportunity to establish research concentrations early on. The University of Kansas holds an excellent history of contribution to the field of psychology. A large part of psychology is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues.

The study of psychology gives reason to some of the important questions, such as why do people act the way they do? What shapes our personality? How do we learn and change throughout our life? In other words, psychology students learn to comprehend why people act in a certain way, how they respond to the world around them, and which key factors might affect this.

These might be social, biological, cognitive or emotional. That is to say, if you are interested in a deeper understanding of the human and animal behavior patterns and conditions, you should consider studying psychology in one of our listed best colleges for psychology undergraduate programs.

For a graduate of psychology, there are lots of opportunities to take on. However, it depends on your specialization and area of interest. You can decide to work as an educational psychologist which involves working alongside adolescents or forensic psychologists, which entails working with criminals and seeking to understand why certain crimes have been perpetrated and how offenders can avoid re-offending. Also, some graduates start their careers in childcare, health , and education jobs, while others go into the legal, social, and welfare professions.

On the other hand, a little percentage of psychology graduates work as a commercial, industrial, or public sector managers. You can also decide to go into business, human resources and finance , marketing , sales, and public relations. On the flip side, you can decide to take up a graduate program in psychology. This is one of the criteria for becoming a chartered psychologist. Both are undergraduate degrees , and both are offered in the field of psychology.

That is to say, they are virtually the same. A Bachelor of Arts entails psychology-focused courses; students earning a B. Entry requirements for psychology degrees differ from institution to institution. Students with a broad knowledge of both sciences and humanities are particularly sought after.

Just as psychology looks to unravel the reasons and underlying factors surrounding why living beings act and behave the way they do, it is also ideal to find out the best colleges for psychology undergraduate programs so as to help guide your selection. Based on findings, it is widely believed that the number of programs offered by a school shows its level of qualitative and academic depth. Therefore, after concise research, our list is based on the number of programs offered by each college.

They selected colleges are selected on the basis of online portfolio and performance in other ranking sites. The schools on our list of best psychology schools were chosen based on their accreditation status. Ideally, the accreditation status of a school shows that the school is authorized and officially recognized to operate in that capacity.

The Department of Psychology is among the first departments established at Stanford University. It has a long-standing tradition of ground-breaking theoretical research that makes a difference. Also, the department is regarded as one of the top psychology programs in the nation and has been the best psychology department among American universities for decades.

Stanford has more than 16, students, 2, faculty and 1, postdoctoral scholars. It is an international institution, enrolling students from all 50 U. In addition, they can join the Stanford University Psychology Association. Founded in as the College of New Jersey , it was officially renamed Princeton University in in honor of the area where it is based. The renowned Ivy League institution offers residential accommodation to all of its undergraduates throughout their four years of study, with 98 percent of undergraduates living on campus.

Also, students get to learn basic statistical methods. Psychology majors have an opportunity to be involved in cutting-edge research for their independent work. The Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania is on our list as one of the best colleges for psychology undergraduate students. In this program, students achieve 33 credit hours toward their major, including psychology, statistics , and research courses.

If they are ready, they can complete an additional statistics class in addition to two honors seminars as seniors. Furthermore, students can also engage in research, and some of the research areas of faculty members include animal learning and behavior, behavior and cognitive neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, psychopathology and psychotherapy, and social and cultural psychology. Harvard University is the oldest university in the US and is seen as one of the most prestigious in the world.

It came into existence in Psychology is one of the most famous courses of study among undergraduates at Harvard. There are also three concentrations students can choose between in this degree. The first is a general track, which covers a wide variation of psychology-based subjects. The second is the cognitive science track, and the third is the cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology track.

In addition, students can take advantage of research opportunities at several labs on and off-campus. Yale University is a private Ivy League research university that is the third-oldest higher education center in the US.