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Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools in California

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2023 Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools in California

16 Colleges
$54,329 Avg Salary
$18,750 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Psychology Graduate Certificate 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 16 schools in California to see which ones offered the best graduate certificate programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools in California

Check out the psychology graduate certificate programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools

#1

Fielding Graduate University

Santa Barbara, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Fielding Graduate University the best school in California for psychology students working on their graduate certificate. 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

#2

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brandman University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Brandman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Irvine.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

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The excellent graduate certificate programs at Claremont Graduate University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best psychology schools in California. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Psychology at Claremont Graduate University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a great place for psychology students working on their graduate certificate. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.

Read full report on Psychology at Golden Gate University - San Francisco

#6

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA

Northcentral University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Psychology Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Northcentral University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego.

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#7

National University

La Jolla, CA

With a ranking of #7, National University did quite well on this year’s best schools for psychology students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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#8

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA

Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for psychology students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Psychology at Mount Saint Mary’s University Report

#9

Holy Names University

Oakland, CA

Holy Names University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate psychology programs. Located in the city of Oakland, HNU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Psychology at Holy Names University Report

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate psychology programs. Vanguard is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Costa Mesa.

Full Psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California Report

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

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

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 16 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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