Best colleges for psychology in California
University of California-Berkeley ranks first in California for psychology value (#6 nationally, value score 90.2): graduates earn $64,904 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,538 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 56 California colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best psychology colleges in California
University of California-Berkeley ranks first in California for psychology value (#6 nationally, value score 90.2): graduates earn $64,904 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,538 a year. 56 California colleges qualify. At the median one, psychology graduates earn $54,199 and the average net price is $18,020 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 56 California colleges qualify. At the median one, psychology graduates earn $54,199 and the average net price is $18,020 a year.
- The highest psychology earnings in the state are at Santa Clara University ($75,742), ranked #13 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
- The lowest average net price among them is at California State University-Stanislaus: $3,565 a year.
- Median earnings
- $54,199
- National: $51,007
- Median net price
- $18,020
- National: $18,874
- Median federal debt
- $15,290
- psychology graduates
- Public colleges
- 28 of 56
- in this list
56 colleges
The California ranking
Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
- Earnings
- $64,904
- Net price
- $14,538
- Federal debt
- $11,032
- Graduation rate
- 94%
- Rank in California 2
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public · #11 nationally
87.7Value- Earnings
- $61,050
- Net price
- $14,659
- Federal debt
- $11,969
- Graduation rate
- 93%
- Rank in California 3
University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA · Public · #14 nationally
86.8Value- Earnings
- $66,171
- Net price
- $16,807
- Federal debt
- $10,373
- Graduation rate
- 84%
- Earnings
- $57,378
- Net price
- $14,318
- Federal debt
- $11,500
- Graduation rate
- 86%
- Rank in California 5
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public · #32 nationally
81.5Value- Earnings
- $60,466
- Net price
- $18,832
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Graduation rate
- 87%
- Earnings
- $57,335
- Net price
- $10,759
- Federal debt
- $13,553
- Graduation rate
- 55%
- Earnings
- $54,323
- Net price
- $13,866
- Federal debt
- $11,978
- Graduation rate
- 87%
- Rank in California 8
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public · #51 nationally
76.4Value- Earnings
- $55,902
- Net price
- $9,803
- Federal debt
- $13,250
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Rank in California 9
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · Public · #58 nationally
75.3Value- Earnings
- $51,661
- Net price
- $5,115
- Federal debt
- $12,580
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Rank in California 10
California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · Public · #60 nationally
75.1Value- Earnings
- $55,196
- Net price
- $10,939
- Federal debt
- $15,290
- Graduation rate
- 55%
- Rank in California 11
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA · Public · #61 nationally
74.9Value- Earnings
- $59,948
- Net price
- $18,549
- Federal debt
- Not reported
- Graduation rate
- 74%
- Rank in California 12
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · #63 nationally
74.8Value- Earnings
- $70,461
- Net price
- $33,056
- Federal debt
- $15,215
- Graduation rate
- 90%
- Rank in California 13
Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit · #65 nationally
74.6Value- Earnings
- $75,742
- Net price
- $36,116
- Federal debt
- $15,500
- Graduation rate
- 87%
- Rank in California 14
San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit · #67 nationally
74.3Value- Earnings
- $74,178
- Net price
- $29,539
- Federal debt
- $20,593
- Graduation rate
- 81%
- Rank in California 15
California State University-Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA · Public · #68 nationally
74.1Value- Earnings
- $54,074
- Net price
- $13,861
- Federal debt
- $10,000
- Graduation rate
- 63%
- Rank in California 16
California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA · Public · #70 nationally
73.8Value- Earnings
- $54,436
- Net price
- $6,858
- Federal debt
- $15,000
- Graduation rate
- 49%
- Rank in California 17
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public · #82 nationally
72.9Value- Earnings
- $51,679
- Net price
- $14,794
- Federal debt
- $11,512
- Graduation rate
- 86%
- Rank in California 18
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA · Public · #85 nationally
72.0Value- Earnings
- $51,526
- Net price
- $5,418
- Federal debt
- $12,500
- Graduation rate
- 58%
- Earnings
- $51,021
- Net price
- $13,243
- Federal debt
- $13,000
- Graduation rate
- 78%
- Rank in California 20
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · Public · #99 nationally
70.8Value- Earnings
- $53,237
- Net price
- $11,186
- Federal debt
- $14,770
- Graduation rate
- 54%
- Rank in California 21
Azusa, CA · Private nonprofit · #103 nationally
70.4Value- Earnings
- $63,963
- Net price
- $22,597
- Federal debt
- $21,367
- Graduation rate
- 63%
- Rank in California 22
Saint Mary's College of California
Moraga, CA · Private nonprofit · #119 nationally
68.9Value- Earnings
- $70,123
- Net price
- $32,200
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 67%
- Rank in California 23
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public · #121 nationally
68.8Value- Earnings
- $49,747
- Net price
- $9,404
- Federal debt
- $13,000
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Rank in California 24
California State University-Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA · Public · #123 nationally
68.7Value- Earnings
- $52,742
- Net price
- $7,244
- Federal debt
- $13,000
- Graduation rate
- 42%
- Earnings
- $52,621
- Net price
- $14,157
- Federal debt
- $13,729
- Graduation rate
- 60%
- Earnings
- $63,617
- Net price
- $46,708
- Federal debt
- $19,000
- Graduation rate
- 83%
- Rank in California 27
University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Public · #143 nationally
67.7Value- Earnings
- $49,947
- Net price
- $12,672
- Federal debt
- $15,000
- Graduation rate
- 75%
- Rank in California 28
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · Public · #144 nationally
67.7Value- Earnings
- $48,926
- Net price
- $9,426
- Federal debt
- $12,500
- Graduation rate
- 70%
- Rank in California 29
California State University-Stanislaus
Turlock, CA · Public · #148 nationally
67.2Value- Earnings
- $50,348
- Net price
- $3,565
- Federal debt
- $12,096
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Rank in California 30
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public · #149 nationally
67.1Value- Earnings
- $49,792
- Net price
- $6,346
- Federal debt
- $12,500
- Graduation rate
- 57%
- Rank in California 31
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA · Private nonprofit · #152 nationally
66.9Value- Earnings
- $59,153
- Net price
- $26,445
- Federal debt
- $19,000
- Graduation rate
- 69%
- Rank in California 32
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · #154 nationally
66.7Value- Earnings
- $65,071
- Net price
- $30,496
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 66%
- Rank in California 33
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · #173 nationally
65.1Value- Earnings
- $60,958
- Net price
- $50,518
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 79%
- Rank in California 34
Dominican University of California
San Rafael, CA · Private nonprofit · #178 nationally
64.7Value- Earnings
- $61,339
- Net price
- $35,567
- Federal debt
- $21,000
- Graduation rate
- 73%
- Earnings
- $61,353
- Net price
- $48,065
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 78%
- Rank in California 36
La Verne, CA · Private nonprofit · #194 nationally
63.3Value- Earnings
- $56,925
- Net price
- $20,523
- Federal debt
- $22,018
- Graduation rate
- 61%
- Rank in California 37
California State University-Channel Islands
Camarillo, CA · Public · #201 nationally
63.0Value- Earnings
- $48,789
- Net price
- $8,534
- Federal debt
- $12,473
- Graduation rate
- 55%
- Rank in California 38
California State University-Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA · Public · #206 nationally
62.6Value- Earnings
- $49,207
- Net price
- $4,001
- Federal debt
- $12,500
- Graduation rate
- 48%
- Rank in California 39
California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA · Public · #212 nationally
62.1Value- Earnings
- $48,326
- Net price
- $3,946
- Federal debt
- $13,000
- Graduation rate
- 53%
- Earnings
- $58,397
- Net price
- $24,940
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Graduation rate
- 55%
- Rank in California 41
Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit · #226 nationally
60.8Value- Earnings
- $61,103
- Net price
- $24,138
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 60%
- Rank in California 42
National University-California
La Jolla, CA · Private nonprofit · #260 nationally
59.3Value- Earnings
- $66,849
- Net price
- $24,008
- Federal debt
- $26,334
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in California 43
Stockton, CA · Private nonprofit · #292 nationally
57.3Value- Earnings
- $52,612
- Net price
- $24,186
- Federal debt
- $18,250
- Graduation rate
- 73%
- Rank in California 44
Redding, CA · Private nonprofit · #340 nationally
54.5Value- Earnings
- $56,902
- Net price
- $28,219
- Federal debt
- $17,076
- Graduation rate
- 35%
- Rank in California 45
Fresno, CA · Private nonprofit · #383 nationally
51.5Value- Earnings
- $52,695
- Net price
- $17,491
- Federal debt
- $22,108
- Graduation rate
- 49%
- Rank in California 46
Redlands, CA · Private nonprofit · #393 nationally
50.5Value- Earnings
- $55,739
- Net price
- $30,924
- Federal debt
- $24,574
- Graduation rate
- 65%
- Earnings
- $52,942
- Net price
- $32,324
- Federal debt
- $18,125
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Rank in California 48
California Polytechnic State University-Humboldt
Arcata, CA · Public · #454 nationally
47.2Value- Earnings
- $45,889
- Net price
- $13,751
- Federal debt
- $15,000
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Earnings
- $49,450
- Net price
- $32,530
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Rank in California 50
Irvine, CA · Private nonprofit · #594 nationally
37.6Value- Earnings
- $49,593
- Net price
- $29,761
- Federal debt
- $18,000
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in California 51
Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, CA · Private nonprofit · #607 nationally
36.7Value- Earnings
- $47,582
- Net price
- $23,231
- Federal debt
- $19,502
- Graduation rate
- 55%
- Rank in California 52
Hope International University-California
Fullerton, CA · Private nonprofit · #610 nationally
36.4Value- Earnings
- $47,206
- Net price
- $31,029
- Federal debt
- $15,500
- Graduation rate
- 53%
- Rank in California 53
Rocklin, CA · Private nonprofit · #617 nationally
36.0Value- Earnings
- $50,354
- Net price
- $26,418
- Federal debt
- $21,750
- Graduation rate
- 48%
- Rank in California 54
Los Alamitos, CA · Private nonprofit · #646 nationally
34.3Value- Earnings
- $46,340
- Net price
- $12,436
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 37%
- Rank in California 55
Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofit · #726 nationally
28.3Value- Earnings
- $45,455
- Net price
- $29,343
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Rank in California 56
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit · #727 nationally
28.2Value- Earnings
- $46,437
- Net price
- $40,555
- Federal debt
- $23,125
- Graduation rate
- 77%
Method: the same value score as the national psychology ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.
Questions about psychology colleges in California
What are the best colleges for psychology in California?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 California colleges for psychology are University of California-Berkeley (value score 90.2), University of California-Los Angeles (value score 87.7) and University of California-Santa Barbara (value score 86.8). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which California college has the highest earnings for psychology graduates?
Santa Clara University: its psychology graduates have median earnings of $75,742 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable psychology college in California on this list?
California State University-Stanislaus has the lowest average net price of the ranked California colleges, $3,565 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many California colleges are ranked for psychology?
56 California colleges have a psychology bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within California.