Best colleges for psychology, ranked by value
Georgia Institute of Technology ranks first of 814 colleges for psychology value; its graduates' median earnings 4 years after the bachelor's degree are $83,012 (College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025).
Psychology bachelor's programs ranked by value: what graduates earn, what they borrow, and what a year costs after grants.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 814 colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
#1 for psychology
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA
- Earnings
- $83,012
- 4 yrs after
- Net price
- $12,028
- per year
- Grad rate
- 94%
- six years
At a glance
- Colleges ranked
- 814
- Of 1,366 with a psychology bachelor's program in the data.
- Median graduate earnings
- $51,007
- 4 years after the bachelor's degree, at the median ranked college.
- Median federal debt
- $21,000
- Borrowed at the college by psychology graduates.
- Median average net price
- $18,874
- What aided first-year students pay a year after grants.
What the data shows
Key findings
814 colleges qualify. At the median one, psychology graduates earn $51,007 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $18,874 a year.
Georgia Institute of Technology ranks first with a value score of 95.1: graduates earn $83,012 and the average net price is $12,028.
The highest earnings are at Dartmouth College ($99,344), which ranks #35 once cost, debt and graduation rate are counted.
Public colleges hold 16 of the top 25 places.
How the value score is weighted
- Graduate earnings40%
- Average net price25%
- Debt-to-earnings20%
- Graduation rate15%
Each part is a percentile among ranked colleges, so a score of 80 means better than 80% of them on that measure. Full methodology
Top 25 by value score
The ranking
Every figure behind each rank is shown. Filter by state, public or private, and net price; ranks stay national.
Top 25 of 814 ranked colleges.
- Rank 1
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA · Public · Research and Experimental Psychology
95.1Value score- Earnings
- $83,012
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $14,500
- Net price
- $12,028
- per year
- Grad rate
- 94%
- Graduates
- 39
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 99.6
- Net price
- 83.8
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 98.0
- Graduation
- 98.3
- Rank 2
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofit · Research and Experimental Psychology
94.6Value score- Earnings
- $63,216
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- —
- not reported
- Net price
- $7,815
- per year
- Grad rate
- 97%
- Graduates
- 38
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 92.3
- Net price
- 95.2
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- not reported
- Graduation
- 100.0
- Rank 3
Yale University
New Haven, CT · Private nonprofit · Research and Experimental Psychology
94.4Value score- Earnings
- $65,752
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $9,250
- Net price
- $11,340
- per year
- Grad rate
- 96%
- Graduates
- 68
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 95.1
- Net price
- 85.9
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 99.5
- Graduation
- 99.8
- Rank 4
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Research and Experimental Psychology
92.7Value score- Earnings
- $75,261
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $17,897
- Net price
- $13,360
- per year
- Grad rate
- 93%
- Graduates
- 182
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 98.8
- Net price
- 78.6
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 94.2
- Graduation
- 97.7
- Earnings
- $71,584
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $11,250
- Net price
- $15,497
- per year
- Grad rate
- 93%
- Graduates
- 98
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 97.4
- Net price
- 67.5
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 98.9
- Graduation
- 97.5
- Rank 6
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public · Research and Experimental Psychology
90.2Value score- Earnings
- $64,904
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $11,032
- Net price
- $14,538
- per year
- Grad rate
- 94%
- Graduates
- 359
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 94.0
- Net price
- 72.7
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 98.2
- Graduation
- 98.4
- Earnings
- $57,053
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $12,444
- Net price
- $5,969
- per year
- Grad rate
- 92%
- Graduates
- 592
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 80.2
- Net price
- 97.2
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 95.5
- Graduation
- 97.3
- Rank 8
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public · Research and Experimental Psychology
89.7Value score- Earnings
- $67,537
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $18,005
- Net price
- $14,362
- per year
- Grad rate
- 93%
- Graduates
- 712
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 96.1
- Net price
- 73.3
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 91.0
- Graduation
- 98.0
- Earnings
- $58,476
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $12,367
- Net price
- $657
- per year
- Grad rate
- 70%
- Graduates
- 149
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 84.6
- Net price
- 99.9
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 96.0
- Graduation
- 73.1
- Rank 10
Brigham Young University-Provo
Provo, UT · Private nonprofit · Psychology, General
88.9Value score- Earnings
- $62,106
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $10,500
- Net price
- $13,397
- per year
- Grad rate
- 81%
- Graduates
- 48
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 90.7
- Net price
- 78.2
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 98.5
- Graduation
- 89.1
- Rank 11
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public · Psychology, General
87.7Value score- Earnings
- $61,050
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $11,969
- Net price
- $14,659
- per year
- Grad rate
- 93%
- Graduates
- 721
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 88.8
- Net price
- 72.1
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 97.1
- Graduation
- 97.9
- Rank 12
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public · Research and Experimental Psychology
87.3Value score- Earnings
- $60,168
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $15,957
- Net price
- $13,042
- per year
- Grad rate
- 86%
- Graduates
- 637
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 87.5
- Net price
- 79.7
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 91.2
- Graduation
- 94.2
- Earnings
- $59,446
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $15,000
- Net price
- $13,636
- per year
- Grad rate
- 89%
- Graduates
- 614
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 86.5
- Net price
- 77.7
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 92.7
- Graduation
- 95.9
- Rank 14
University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA · Public · Research and Experimental Psychology
86.8Value score- Earnings
- $66,171
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $10,373
- Net price
- $16,807
- per year
- Grad rate
- 84%
- Graduates
- 666
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 95.6
- Net price
- 60.0
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 98.9
- Graduation
- 91.8
- Earnings
- $59,149
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $8,566
- Net price
- $1,051
- per year
- Grad rate
- 59%
- Graduates
- 614
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 85.7
- Net price
- 99.6
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 99.2
- Graduation
- 50.4
- Rank 16
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · Research and Experimental Psychology
86.4Value score- Earnings
- $73,483
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- —
- not reported
- Net price
- $16,776
- per year
- Grad rate
- 95%
- Graduates
- 103
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 97.9
- Net price
- 60.4
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- not reported
- Graduation
- 99.0
- Rank 17
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private nonprofit · Research and Experimental Psychology
85.7Value score- Earnings
- $86,946
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $31,181
- Net price
- $15,370
- per year
- Grad rate
- 95%
- Graduates
- 153
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 99.8
- Net price
- 68.1
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 69.3
- Graduation
- 99.1
- Earnings
- $75,059
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $21,700
- Net price
- $15,585
- per year
- Grad rate
- 72%
- Graduates
- 43
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 98.6
- Net price
- 66.9
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 88.0
- Graduation
- 77.7
- Rank 19
University of Washington-Seattle
Seattle, WA · Public · Research and Experimental Psychology
85.1Value score- Earnings
- $57,718
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $13,000
- Net price
- $13,663
- per year
- Grad rate
- 85%
- Graduates
- 533
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 82.2
- Net price
- 77.2
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 95.0
- Graduation
- 92.9
- Earnings
- $54,728
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $11,502
- Net price
- $8,605
- per year
- Grad rate
- 86%
- Graduates
- 842
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 70.4
- Net price
- 93.7
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 96.1
- Graduation
- 93.8
- Rank 21
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofit · Research and Experimental Psychology
84.8Value score- Earnings
- $69,204
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $11,500
- Net price
- $19,536
- per year
- Grad rate
- 93%
- Graduates
- 52
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 96.4
- Net price
- 47.8
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 98.6
- Graduation
- 97.4
- Rank 22
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA · Private nonprofit · Research and Experimental Psychology
84.3Value score- Earnings
- $57,752
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $6,453
- Net price
- $15,203
- per year
- Grad rate
- 86%
- Graduates
- 41
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 82.3
- Net price
- 69.1
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 99.7
- Graduation
- 94.6
- Rank 23
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public · Research and Experimental Psychology
84.3Value score- Earnings
- $57,378
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $11,500
- Net price
- $14,318
- per year
- Grad rate
- 86%
- Graduates
- 966
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 81.4
- Net price
- 73.4
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 96.7
- Graduation
- 93.5
- Earnings
- $62,794
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $14,475
- Net price
- $18,056
- per year
- Grad rate
- 94%
- Graduates
- 227
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 92.0
- Net price
- 53.9
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 94.7
- Graduation
- 98.8
- Rank 25
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public · Psychology, General
83.7Value score- Earnings
- $57,575
- 4 yrs after
- Median debt
- $15,411
- Net price
- $14,296
- per year
- Grad rate
- 88%
- Graduates
- 420
- latest year
Percentile among ranked colleges
- Earnings
- 81.8
- Net price
- 73.8
- Debt (Debt-to-earnings)
- 90.7
- Graduation
- 95.7
789 more matching colleges are in the CSV download.
Earnings against net price
Each dot is a ranked college. Higher means graduates earn more; further left means a year costs less after grants. The best value sits top left.
- Top 25
- Other ranked colleges
Scatter plot of 814 colleges. The ranked list above gives every figure.
Methodology
- Programs counted
- Bachelor's degrees reported under CIP 42.01, 42.27, 42.28 at public and private nonprofit colleges published on CollegesRef. When a college reports more than one qualifying program, its largest one is used.
- Eligibility
- A college needs at least 20 graduates in the latest award year, reported median earnings 4 years after graduation, and a published average net price and graduation rate. A field is published only when at least 50 colleges qualify.
- Value score
- Each figure is turned into a 0–100 percentile among ranked colleges (100 is best: highest earnings or graduation rate, lowest net price or debt-to-earnings). The value score is the weighted average: graduate earnings 40%, average net price 25%, debt-to-earnings 20%, graduation rate 15%. If a college reports no debt figure, that weight is shared among the other three.
- Earnings and debt
- Median annual earnings 4 years after completing the bachelor's degree, for graduates who received federal aid and were working. Debt is the median federal loan amount borrowed at the college by those graduates (College Scorecard field of study).
- Cost and completion
- Average net price is what aided first-year students pay after grants, for the whole college rather than the major. Graduation rate is the college-wide share finishing within six years (150% of normal time).
Limits
- Value, not prestige
- The score rewards high earnings at a low cost. It does not measure research strength, faculty, selectivity or reputation, so famous programs can rank below less-known ones.
- Earnings lag
- Earnings describe students who graduated several years ago and were measured years later. Today's job market and starting salaries can differ.
- Suppressed small programs
- The Department of Education withholds figures for small groups of graduates to protect privacy, so many small programs cannot be ranked at all.
- Federal aid recipients only
- Earnings and debt cover graduates who received federal grants or loans; students who paid without federal aid are not included.
Definitions: average net price. Read the CollegesRef methodology for how college data is checked. Methodology version 1; 540 colleges had too few graduates or suppressed earnings and 12 lacked a net price or graduation rate.
Sources
- Data
- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study, cost and completion data.
- Edition
- 2026–27, data verified Nov 2026
- Source reporting year
- 2025
- Snapshot
- November 4, 2026
Questions about this ranking
See rankings for other majors, compare any two colleges side by side with Compare, or check a family's price with the cost calculator.
What is the best college for psychology?
On value, Georgia Institute of Technology ranks first in this ranking: psychology graduates earn a median of $83,012 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $12,028 a year. "Best" depends on what you need; this ranking weighs earnings against cost, debt and graduation rate.
What do psychology graduates go on to do?
Many psychology graduates go on to graduate school; those who start work right away enter human services, HR, research and marketing roles. The earnings here are medians for graduates who received federal aid, 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
Why are some well-known psychology programs ranked low or missing?
The ranking measures value, not prestige. A college with high earnings but a high net price can rank below a cheaper college with slightly lower earnings. Programs are missing when federal data suppresses their earnings, when they have fewer graduates than the threshold, or when they are reported under a CIP code this ranking does not count.
Can I see colleges in my state only?
Yes. Use the state filter above the list; ranks stay national so you can see where each college stands overall. You can also filter by public or private and by a maximum net price, or download the full CSV.
Does the net price shown apply to psychology students?
No. Average net price is reported for the whole college, not by major. Your own price depends on your family's finances; each college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.