2023 Best Psychology Schools in California
Finding the Best Psychology School for You
In 2020-2021, psychology students earned 40,562 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 5th in the state.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Psychology Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 75 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Psychology Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Psychology Colleges.
Top 15% Best Psychology Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for psychology students. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Clara University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Psychology Schools in California list. Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their degree, psychology majors at SCU accumulate an average of around $20,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $657, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
The excellent programs at Fielding Graduate University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best psychology schools in California. Fielding is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Santa Barbara.
Read full report on Psychology at Fielding Graduate University
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Palo Alto University is a great place for psychology students. Pacific Graduate School of Psychology is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Palo Alto.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Brandman University is a great place for psychology students. Brandman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.
On average, psychology graduates from Brandman take out $24,999 in student loans while working on their degree.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best psychology programs. The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
After completing their degree, psychology graduates from The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus carry an average student debtload of $37,009.
Full Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles Report
University of Southern California came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Psychology Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that psychology majors at USC take out is $14,892. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $376.
Fuller Theological Seminary ranked #8 on this year’s Best Psychology Schools in California list. Located in the city of Pasadena, Fuller is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Read full report on Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary
Touro University Worldwide landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best psychology programs. TUW is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Los Alamitos.
The average amount in student loans that psychology majors at TUW take out is $21,708.
With a ranking of #10, Claremont Graduate University did quite well on this year’s best schools for psychology students. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
With a ranking of #11, The Wright Institute did quite well on this year’s best schools for psychology students. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, The Wright Institute is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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 Psychology Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 13 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 14 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 15 | The University of Arizona Global Campus | San Diego, CA |
Best Psychology Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Psychology Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 2,848 |
| Oregon | 2,071 |
| Hawaii | 511 |
| Nevada | 996 |
| Alaska | 133 |
More Psychology Rankings in California
Psychology Related Rankings by Major
Psychology Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Psychology | 141,695 |
| Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology | 33,758 |
| Child Development & Psychology | 17,542 |
| Other Psychology | 2,683 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 327,871 |
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Communication & Journalism | 120,571 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Nevit Dilmen.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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