Best Research Universities for Psychology Degrees 2025

Badge for BEST FOR PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Dr. Jed Macosko

Updated: Sep 24, 2024

The best psychology research universities in the US are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best psychology degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding psychology faculty.

Key Takeaways

The best research universities for psychology degrees, such as Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University, are challenging to get into. These schools have low acceptance rates.
Psychology programs at research universities conduct cutting-edge research and provide innovative programs that bridge the gap between science and practice.
Research universities are for students who are comfortable studying in big crowds and can work independently.

Table of Contents

Top 10 Undergraduate Psychology Programs at Research Universities in 2025

Harvard University
University of California, Berkeley
+7
Columbia University
+2
Stanford University
–2
University of Chicago
+3
Yale University
–3
Princeton University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
+2
University of Michigan
–3
New York University
+2

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, the top ten undergraduate psychology programs at research universities saw a fair amount of change. The University of California, Berkeley, in particular, raised seven ranking positions as a result of the psychology department expanding its research facilities, including new labs focused on neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and behavioral studies. Berkeley has also introduced new interdisciplinary courses combining psychology with data science, artificial intelligence, and public health, reflecting emerging trends in mental health and technology. Additionally, the university has strengthened its partnerships with mental health organizations, providing more internship and practicum opportunities for students interested in clinical or applied psychology.

Featured Programs

Ranking: Best Research Universities for Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Psychology Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Psychology

Degree Level: Bachelor's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Starting Salary*: $31,232
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $41,564
* denotes ‘annually’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists	5.81%	$147,420
Managers, All Other	5.75%	$133,560
Psychologists, All Other	4.95%	$117,750
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	13.28%	$96,100
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary	4.89%	$82,140
Social Science Research Assistants	6.40%	$56,400

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists	$147,420
Managers, All Other	$133,560
Psychologists, All Other	$117,750
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$96,100
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary	$82,140
Social Science Research Assistants	$56,400

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Psychology: A Common Research University Focus

Psychology schools offer undergraduate and graduate degrees. There are five psychology degree levels; associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, Ph.D., and PsyD.

Full knowledge about the different degree levels in psychology will help you determine your educational goals. For instance, if you want to work in academia, you should aim for a PhD. Conversely, not much can be achieved without at least an associate’s degree in psychology.

Associate Degree in Psychology

An associate’s degree is the quickest and easiest way to start exploring psychology, not to mention the cheapest degree path. Since associate degrees are offered in community colleges, you’ll generally find lower tuition rates. But most students interested in psychology use this degree level as a stepping stone to higher education.

There are only a few associate-level positions available. You can become a teacher’s aide, home care aide, family advocate, or social services assistant with an associate degree. An undergraduate or bachelor’s is the minimum degree requirement for most entry-level psychology careers.

Majors in an associate degree in psychology include:

Marriage And Family
Developmental Psychology
Social Psychology
Abnormal Behavior

Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology

After completing an associate’s degree, it’s wise to pursue a bachelor’s degree to open more career opportunities. A bachelor of psychology degree usually requires four years to finish. Many colleges offer the option for students to get a bachelor’s degree in either the arts or sciences (BA or BS).

With a bachelor’s in psychology, you can pursue work as a counselor, mediator, human resource officer, market researcher, among other entry-level jobs.

Majors in a bachelor’s degree in psychology include:

Health Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Research in Psychology
Social Development
Personality Theories
Clinical Psychology
Psychological Statistics

Master’s Degree in Psychology

A master’s in psychology degree is a graduate-level degree that requires two to three years to complete. Students typically have the option of a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS) in psychology, similar to a bachelor’s degree.

Earning a master’s degree in psychology is the most popular educational path because there are so many more career opportunities at the master’s level than at the bachelor’s level.

Graduates with a master’s degree in psychology can quality for many jobs, including teaching positions at junior colleges and universities, a local, state, or federal government researcher, or a position in the field of mental health.

Majors in a master’s degree in psychology include:

Psychopharmacology
Learning, Cognition, and Child Psychology
Consumer Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Military Psychology
Social Psychology
Engineering Psychology

PhD in Psychology

A doctoral-level degree in psychology or a PhD can be earned after four to six years of graduate study. Although the PhD degree does contain both theoretical and applied training, it tends to take a more research-based approach than the PsyD. Most students who earn a PhD enter the field of academia and teach at four-year universities or become psychologists.

There are also many different specialization fields to choose from with a PhD in psychology. Your decision will be significantly influenced by what you decide to do after graduation.

Majors in a PhD degree in psychology include:

Abnormal Psychology
Applied Psychology
Behavioral Science
Child Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology

If you’re planning to obtain a PhD in psychology, the best research universities include Stanford University, the University of Michigan, Yale University, the University of California Los Angeles, and Harvard University

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

PsyD schools emphasize clinical applications, evaluation methodologies, and intervention techniques over research-oriented programs. They place less emphasis on qualitative and quantitative methods. The degree typically requires less time than a PhD, with most students fulfilling all requirements in 4-6 years, despite some programs including a dissertation or capstone research project.

Majors in a PsyD degree in psychology include:

Family and Couples Therapy
School Psychology
Counseling
Gerontology

These fields all call for an APA-approved internship.

Psychology Degrees are Popular and Versatile

Psychology bachelor’s degrees are the 4th most popular undergraduate degree across all student demographics. Only liberal studies, business, and nursing rank ahead of it. Psychology degrees are three times more common among women than men, and rank among the top 5 bachelor’s degrees for both Black people and Hispanics (according to degree-earner numbers reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics).

While psychology is obviously a sensible major if you’re planning on becoming a clinical psychologist, majoring in psychology is also a great starting point for a career as a school counselor, special educator, addiction specialist, criminologist, forensics expert and countless other professions. Some psychology majors will complete a double major, or a minor, in a complimentary area such as education or law enforcement. Beyond that, psychology degrees can be useful in many areas of business like marketing, human resources, conflict resolution, and business management. Our top reason to choose a psychology degree is that you learn to think about how people think, and thus the versatility of a psychology degree is practically limitless.

As a psychology major, you’ll study human development, cognition, and behavior. You’ll learn skills like counseling, behavioral therapy, and clinical treatment for mental health disorders. Students who plan to ultimately become practicing clinical psychologists will be required to earn their doctoral degree in psychology from a program that is accredited by The APA Commission on Accreditation, and subsequently qualify for and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). However, majoring in psychology as an undergraduate can provide a starting point for a wide range of careers in school counseling, substance abuse treatment, special education, and much more. The best schools for psychology are those which are regionally accredited, which offer a full array of psychology concentrations, and which give you the chance to work with the best and most influential professors and classmates.

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

If you want to major in psychology and get a bachelor’s degree in that field, you need to decide not only which school to attend but also what type of school to attend. The best school for you to major in psychology will depend on the type of school that’s best for you. When it comes to the type of school for pursuing a psychology major, you have three broad choices:

Research universities are schools whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Such institutions offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, often with tens of thousands of students.

Is a big high-powered research environment the place for you? In deciding on where to do your psychology major as an undergraduate, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Are you good with being a face in a crowd, especially for some of the general introductory psychology classes that you’ll be taking, where you might be one among several hundred students? Are you okay with being a little fish in a big pond?

If you are serious about studying psychology and think you’ll eventually want to get a graduate degree in psychology, then a research university is probably the place for you. If you excel as an undergraduate at a research university, you’ll be able to take graduate courses your junior and senior years, and you may be invited to do research with some of your professors.

A research university can thus be a great springboard if you aspire to be a world-class player in the field of psychology.

Did you know that many psychology graduates transition into an IT career? Find out how to transition into tech with a psychology degree.

But perhaps your interest in psychology isn’t overwhelming. Perhaps you are thinking of psychology more as a stepping stone to other things that interest you, such as a career in law or education. And perhaps you want a more intimate campus.

In that case, a liberal arts college may be just what the doctor ordered. The best liberal arts colleges offer an excellent undergraduate education. In fact, students who do well at a top liberal arts college typically have no problem getting into and thriving at a top research university if upon completing their bachelor’s they decide to go on for further study.

The best liberal arts colleges offer a broad range of subjects for students to study. They typically provide smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Liberal arts colleges stress not only going deep in one’s major but also going broad.

Here’s another reason you might appreciate the breadth of a liberal arts education: about 80 percent of undergraduate students end up changing majors while in college and 60 percent of college grads would change majors if they had to do it again. Liberal arts colleges keep you from getting too narrowly focused.

The verdict is in: other things being equal, a campus-based college experience is preferable to a purely online college experience. Indeed, nothing beats direct personal contact with faculty and fellow students. Body language, facial cues, voice intonation and a host of other factors like this get lost in going from “real reality” to “virtual reality.” These factors enhance the educational process and get lost in online education.

There was a key caveat in the previous paragraph: other things being equal. As it is, other things are rarely equal. You may be a second career student with a family to take care of and no way to juggle these obligations with a commute to a local campus. Online education may then be your only option.

Or it may be that you thrive on independence and solitude, working at your own pace and schedule, viewing video lectures and digital materials at your convenience. Online education gives you unmatched flexibility to pursue your education on your terms.

Life is a matter of tradeoffs. Pursuing a psychology major online will mean missing out on the benefits of campus life. Such benefits include everything from having housing and meals provided on campus to in-person office hours and counseling services. But where a campus-based education is not an option, an online education may be quite doable.

If you think a research university may be a better fit for you, see our ranking of the best liberal arts colleges for a bachelor’s in psychology. You might also be interested in our ranking of the highest paying psychology careers and degrees.

Go to all Research Universities for Psychology programs

The Best Psychology Schools in Your State

Learn More About Psychology

If you want to know more about psychology, then check out our related content:

Learn how to major in psychology
Think about your next step and what you can do with a master’s degree in psychology
Learn more about psychology from our interviews with influential psychologists
Find out who are the most influential psychologists today

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Research Universities for Psychology Degrees 2025

Key Takeaways

Top 10 Undergraduate Psychology Programs at Research Universities in 2025

2025 Ranking Update

Featured Programs

Ranking: Best Research Universities for Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Last Year’s Ranking:

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Harvard University

Most Influential Alumni

Harvard University Psychology Major Tracks

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of California, Berkeley

Most Influential Alumni

University of California, Berkeley Psychology Major Concentrations

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Columbia University

Most Influential Alumni

Columbia University Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Stanford University

Most Influential Alumni

Stanford University Psychology Major Concentrations

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of Chicago

Most Influential Alumni

University of Chicago Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Yale University

Most Influential Alumni

Yale University Psychology Major Tracks

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Princeton University

Most Influential Alumni

Princeton University Psychology Major Concentrations

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Most Influential Alumni

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Psychology Majors

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of Michigan

Most Influential Alumni

University of Michigan Psychology Majors

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at New York University

Most Influential Alumni

New York University Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Cornell University

Most Influential Alumni

Cornell University Psychology Major Fields of Study

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of Pennsylvania

Most Influential Alumni

University of Pennsylvania Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of California, Los Angeles

Most Influential Alumni

University of California, Los Angeles Psychology Majors

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Johns Hopkins University

Most Influential Alumni

Johns Hopkins University Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Duke University

Most Influential Alumni

Duke University Psychology Majors

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of Southern California

Most Influential Alumni

University of Southern California Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of Texas at Austin

Most Influential Alumni

University of Texas at Austin Psychology Major Areas of Study

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Northwestern University

Most Influential Alumni

Northwestern University Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Carnegie Mellon University

Most Influential Alumni

Carnegie Mellon University Psychology Majors

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Brown University

Most Influential Alumni

Brown University Psychology Majors

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of Virginia

Most Influential Alumni

University of Virginia Psychology Major

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Washington University in St. Louis

Most Influential Alumni

Washington University in St. Louis Psychology Majors

Washington University in St. Louis’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Most Influential Alumni

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Psychology Majors

Career Outlook for Psychology degree at Tufts University

Most Influential Alumni