Top 15 Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology

Psy­chol­o­gy is a mul­ti­fac­eted sci­en­tif­ic dis­ci­pline focused on explor­ing the men­tal, phys­i­cal, and emo­tion­al fac­tors affect­ing behav­ior. Major­ing in psy­chol­o­gy is a pop­u­lar route for altru­is­tic stu­dents who enjoy help­ing oth­ers and solv­ing real-life prob­lems with empir­i­cal research. Psy­chol­o­gy is present­ly the fourth most con­ferred bach­e­lor’s degree in Amer­i­ca award­ed to around 114,000 stu­dents year­ly. Under­grad­u­ate psy­chol­o­gy pro­grams can lead to grad school admis­sion for spe­cial­ties like clin­i­cal, coun­sel­ing, and social/personality psy­chol­o­gy. How­ev­er, only one-fourth of psy­chol­o­gy majors actu­al­ly pur­sue men­tal health licen­sure for a mean year­ly wage of $76,040. Grad­u­ates can excel in oth­er in-demand “peo­ple” pro­fes­sions, includ­ing adver­tis­ing, health­care, occu­pa­tion­al ther­a­py, human resources, and cou­ples counseling.

There­fore, we’ve devot­ed the fol­low­ing arti­cle to rec­og­niz­ing the Top 15 Bach­e­lor’s Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy. We nar­rowed down the top tra­di­tion­al, face-to-face under­grad­u­ate psy­chol­o­gy majors con­ferred at Unit­ed States col­leges. First, we con­sult­ed the U.S. News and World Report’s rank­ing for “Best Under­grad­u­ate Teach­ing.” We fil­tered through this list to find region­al­ly accred­it­ed bac­calau­re­ate degrees in psy­chol­o­gy with high reten­tion and low stu­dent-fac­ul­ty ratio. Tuition prices were col­lect­ed from the NCES Col­lege Nav­i­ga­tor data­base, and pref­er­ence was giv­en to schools with exten­sive finan­cial aid. Each psy­chol­o­gy pro­gram had to be hands-on with mul­ti­ple expe­ri­en­tial oppor­tu­ni­ties. We also con­sid­ered fac­ul­ty cre­den­tials, lab spe­cial­iza­tions, uni­ver­si­ty pres­tige, off-cam­pus learn­ing, and grad­u­a­tion rate.

Here are our selec­tions for the Top 15 Bach­e­lor’s Degrees in Psychology:

1. Princeton University

Char­tered in 1746 as the Col­lege of New Jer­sey, Prince­ton Uni­ver­si­ty has flour­ished as a pre­mier, pri­vate Ivy League research insti­tu­tion with around 5,300 under­grad­u­ates on its 500-acre sub­ur­ban cam­pus just 12 miles from Tren­ton. Accord­ing to the U.S. News and World Report, Prince­ton is the nation’s top uni­ver­si­ty and sec­ond best val­ue with the #1 under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. Affil­i­at­ed with 41 Nobel lau­re­ates, Prince­ton offers an A.B. in Psy­chol­o­gy start­ing in the sopho­more year. Stu­dents can select cer­tifi­cates in Cog­ni­tive Sci­ence, Gen­der and Sex­u­al­i­ty Stud­ies, Lin­guis­tics, and Neu­ro­science. The eight-semes­ter pro­gram includes an exper­i­men­tal senior the­sis with fac­ul­ty who’ve won the NIH Pio­neer Research Award.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $43,450

Learn more about Prince­ton Uni­ver­si­ty’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

2. Miami University — Oxford

Endowed for $460 mil­lion, Mia­mi Uni­ver­si­ty-Oxford is a pub­lic, co-edu­ca­tion­al research insti­tu­tion edu­cat­ing around 16,300 under­grad­u­ate Red­Hawks from a vast 2,000-acre rur­al cam­pus in Ohio’s But­ler Coun­ty. The U.S. News rec­og­nized Mia­mi as the 30th best pub­lic school and 47th best for vets col­lege with the #2 top under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. With a 90 per­cent reten­tion rate, the Col­lege of Arts & Sci­ence presents a large 36-cred­it Psy­chol­o­gy Major (B.S.). Stu­dents can declare an “Area of Focus” in Biopsy­chol­o­gy, Cog­ni­tive, Devel­op­men­tal, Social, Psy­chopathol­o­gy, and more. Majors could also join the Emo­tion Research Group or Psi Chi Hon­or Society.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $14,287 (in-state) or $30,987 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Mia­mi Uni­ver­si­ty — Oxford’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

3. Yale University

Belong­ing to the Ivy League, Yale Uni­ver­si­ty is the Unit­ed States’ third old­est pri­vate, non­prof­it research insti­tu­tion car­ry­ing a $25.5 bil­lion endow­ment to edu­cate 5,450 under­grad­u­ates on a 1,015-acre urban cam­pus in New Haven, Con­necti­cut. The U.S. News deemed Yale the third best nation­al uni­ver­si­ty and val­ue with the #3 top under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. Locat­ed in Kirt­land Hall, the Depart­ment of Psy­chol­o­gy con­fers a four-year Bach­e­lor of Arts or Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence. Majors could ben­e­fit from declar­ing the Neu­ro­science Track, con­duct research in the Canine Cog­ni­tion Cen­ter, co-major in Com­put­er Sci­ence, vol­un­teer with Yale AIESEC, study abroad in Argenti­na, and more.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $47,600

Learn more about Yale Uni­ver­si­ty’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

4. Brown University

Stand­ing atop Col­lege Hill with a 143-acre urban cam­pus in Prov­i­dence, Rhode Island, Brown Uni­ver­si­ty is an elite pri­vate, Ivy League RU/VH research insti­tu­tion endowed for $3.3 bil­lion to serve over 6,300 under­grad Bears. Accord­ing to the U.S. News, Brown is Amer­i­ca’s 14th best uni­ver­si­ty and 22nd most inno­v­a­tive school with the #4 best under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. The Cog­ni­tive, Lin­guis­tic & Psy­cho­log­i­cal Sci­ences was formed in 2010 to offer an A.B. or Sc.B. degree in psy­chol­o­gy. Not­ed for a 7:1 stu­dent-fac­ul­ty ratio, the lab-based pro­gram delves into neur­al mod­el­ing, genet­ics, ani­mal learn­ing, social cog­ni­tion, and more. Stu­dents could also con­tribute to the Ersatz Brain Project.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $49,346

Learn more about Brown Uni­ver­si­ty’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

5. Rice University

Named for the Pres­i­dent of Hous­ton Brick Works Com­pa­ny in 1912, Rice Uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate, non­prof­it RU/VH research insti­tu­tion locat­ed on a 295-acre urban cam­pus next to Texas Med­ical Cen­ter to edu­cate over 3,800 under­grad­u­ates. The U.S. News rec­og­nized Rice as the 15th best nation­al uni­ver­si­ty and 14th top val­ue with the #5 best bac­calau­re­ate teach­ing. With a “most selec­tive” accep­tance rate of 16 per­cent, the School of Social Sci­ences pro­vides a 120-cred­it Psy­chol­o­gy B.A. degree. The Gate­way Pro­gram con­nects majors to intern­ships with agen­cies like Covenant House Texas, Sum­mer Fel­lows stipends of $4,000, and exper­i­ments with the Social Sci­ences Applied Inno­va­tion Lab.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $42,253

6. Wake Forest University

Posi­tioned on a 340-acre sub­ur­ban cam­pus in Win­ston-Salem, North Car­oli­na, with a LEED-cer­ti­fied Biotech Place, Wake For­est Uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate, non­sec­tar­i­an ORAU mem­ber enrolling around 4,800 under­grad Demon Dea­cons. The U.S. News crowned Wake For­est the 27th best uni­ver­si­ty and 28th top val­ue with a tie for Amer­i­ca’s #5 best under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. Based in Greene Hall, the Depart­ment of Psy­chol­o­gy grants a 17-course major for a Bach­e­lor of Arts or Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence. Stu­dents may par­tic­i­pate in the NIH-fund­ed Triple‑P Study, join the Growth Ini­tia­tive Project, declare Hon­ors, and study abroad in Jamaica. Approx­i­mate­ly 51 per­cent of alum­ni con­tin­ue to grad­u­ate school.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $47,682

Learn more about Wake For­est Uni­ver­si­ty’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

7. Dartmouth College

Estab­lished in 1769 by Con­gre­ga­tion­al min­is­ter Eleazar Whee­lock, Dart­mouth Col­lege is a pri­vate, non­sec­tar­i­an Ivy League research insti­tu­tion with 4,300 under­grad­u­ates study­ing on its mas­sive 31,869-acre rur­al cam­pus in Hanover, New Hamp­shire. Not­ed for the nation’s #7 best bac­calau­re­ate teach­ing, Dart­mouth is deemed the 11th best uni­ver­si­ty and fifth most vet­er­an-friend­ly col­lege by the U.S. News and World Report. The Depart­ment of Psy­cho­log­i­cal and Brain Sci­ences awards a B.S. in Psy­chol­o­gy with an 86 per­cent four-year grad­u­a­tion rate. Stu­dents can con­duct research in the Brain Imag­ing Cen­ter, become Lin­coln Filence Fel­lows, declare a Neu­ro­science Minor, and study off-cam­pus at Vas­sar College.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $49,506

Learn more about Dart­mouth Col­lege’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

8. University of Michigan — Ann Arbor

Devot­ed to “Arts, Knowl­edge, Truth,” the Uni­ver­si­ty of Michi­gan-Ann Arbor is a pub­lic, sea-grant and space-grant RU/VH research hub found­ed in 1817 that’s serv­ing over 28,900 bach­e­lor’s stu­dents on its 3,177-acre urban cam­pus 35 miles west of Detroit. The U.S. News dis­tin­guished UMich as Amer­i­ca’s 27th best uni­ver­si­ty and fourth top pub­lic school with the #7 best under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. The Psy­chol­o­gy Depart­ment pro­vides a B.S. in Psy­chol­o­gy or B.S. in Biopsy­chol­o­gy, Cog­ni­tion, and Neu­ro­science (BCN). Both include hands-on research in East Hall, includ­ing the Michi­gan Psy­choneu­roen­dro­crinol­o­gy Affec­tive Lab. Stu­dents with a min­i­mum 3.4 GPA also qual­i­fy for the Hon­ors Program.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $13,856 (in-state) or $43,476 (out-of-state)

Learn more about the Uni­ver­si­ty of Michi­gan — Ann Arbor’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

9. University of Notre Dame

Affil­i­at­ed with the Con­gre­ga­tion of Holy Cross, the Uni­ver­si­ty of Notre Dame is a pri­vate, Catholic research insti­tu­tion enlight­en­ing over 8,400 under­grads from a 1,250-acre sub­ur­ban cam­pus in South Bend, Indi­ana, off Inter­state 90. Accord­ing to the U.S. News and World Report, Notre Dame is the 15th best nation­al uni­ver­si­ty and 25th top val­ue with a tie for the #7 best bac­calau­re­ate teach­ing. With­in the Col­lege of Arts and Let­ters, the Fight­ing Irish can com­plete a 120-cred­it Bach­e­lor of Arts in Psy­chol­o­gy. Stu­dents could join Psi Chi, earn CUSE Grants for research, pur­sue practicum at the Sloan-Ket­ter­ing Can­cer Cen­ter, and vol­un­teer with Hope Ministries.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $47,929

Learn more about the Uni­ver­si­ty of Notre Dame’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

10. Stanford University

Enrolling approx­i­mate­ly 6,900 under­grad Car­di­nals with a 4:1 stu­dent-fac­ul­ty ratio, Stan­ford Uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate, non­prof­it RU/VH research insti­tu­tion endowed for $22 bil­lion on a 8,180-acre sub­ur­ban cam­pus near Palo Alto, Cal­i­for­nia. For 2017, Stan­ford is declared Amer­i­ca’s fifth best uni­ver­si­ty and sec­ond most inno­v­a­tive school with the 10th best under­grad­u­ate teach­ing by the U.S. News and World Report. With­in Jor­dan Hall, the Depart­ment of Psy­chol­o­gy awards a B.A. and co-ter­mi­nal M.A. for under­grad­u­ates inter­est­ed in human behav­ior. Valu­able oppor­tu­ni­ties include work­ing at the Bing Nurs­ery School, research­ing at the Vision & Per­cep­tion Neu­ro­science Lab, join­ing the Black Psy­chol­o­gy Stu­dents Asso­ci­a­tion, and tak­ing three-week Over­seas Seminars.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $46,320

Learn more about Stan­ford Uni­ver­si­ty’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

11. Vanderbilt University

As a pri­vate, non­prof­it research insti­tu­tion in the pres­ti­gious AAU, Van­der­bilt Uni­ver­si­ty attracts over 6,800 under­grad­u­ates from 90+ for­eign coun­tries on its 330-acre urban cam­pus on the West End of Nashville, Ten­nessee. Accord­ing to the U.S. News, Van­der­bilt is Amer­i­ca’s 15th best uni­ver­si­ty and sixth best for vets school with the 10th top under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. With an impres­sive 97 per­cent reten­tion rate, the Col­lege of Arts and Sci­ence presents a 36-cred­it Bach­e­lor of Arts major in Psy­chol­o­gy. Begin­ning in the fresh­man year, stu­dents are wel­comed into state-of-the-art facil­i­ties, includ­ing the Stress and Cop­ing Research Lab. There’s also a Com­bined 4+1 B.A./M.A. in Psy­chol­o­gy available.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $44,712

Learn more about Van­der­bilt Uni­ver­si­ty’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

12. William & Mary

Known for edu­cat­ing four Dec­la­ra­tion of Inde­pen­dence sign­ers, William & Mary is a his­toric pub­lic, co-edu­ca­tion­al research insti­tu­tion trac­ing back to 1693 that’s enrolling 6,300 under­grad­u­ates on its 1,200 sub­ur­ban cam­pus in Williams­burg, Vir­ginia. The USNWR named W&M the 32nd best uni­ver­si­ty and sixth top pub­lic school with the #12 best under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. Stu­dents in the School of Arts & Sci­ences can declare a B.A. or B.S. in Psy­chol­o­gy. The 12:1 stu­dent-fac­ul­ty ratio fos­ters part­ner­ships in cut­ting-edge research, such as the EEG Lab. Majors often par­tic­i­pate in the VMEC Sum­mer Schol­ar Intern­ship too.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $19,372 (in-state) or $41,072 (out-of-state)

Learn more about William and Mary’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

13. Purdue University — West Lafayette

Hold­ing land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant sta­tus, Pur­due Uni­ver­si­ty-West Lafayette is clas­si­fied as a pub­lic, RU/VH research insti­tu­tion with more than 29,400 bach­e­lor’s stu­dents engaged on its sprawl­ing 2,602-acre urban cam­pus in Indi­ana’s Wabash Town­ship. The U.S. News and World Report dis­tin­guished Pur­due as the 60th best uni­ver­si­ty and ninth most inno­v­a­tive school with the #13 top under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. The Col­lege of Health and Human Sci­ences hous­es a 120-cred­it B.S. in Psy­cho­log­i­cal Sci­ences. Stu­dents could ben­e­fit from liv­ing in the Psy­chol­o­gy Learn­ing Com­mu­ni­ty, vol­un­teer­ing with the Lafayette Cri­sis Cen­ter, study­ing abroad in Sin­ga­pore, join­ing Psi Chi, and tak­ing the PSY 39000 research course.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $10,002 (in-state) or $28,804 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Pur­due Uni­ver­si­ty — West Lafayet­te’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

14. Duke University

With research expen­di­tures sur­pass­ing $1.03 bil­lion, Duke Uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate, non­sec­tar­i­an RU/VH insti­tu­tion found­ed by Methodists in 1838 that’s enrolling over 6,400 under­grad­u­ates from a 8,470-acre sub­ur­ban cam­pus in Durham, North Car­oli­na. Accord­ing to the U.S. News and World Report, Duke is the eighth best uni­ver­si­ty and third most vet­er­an-friend­ly school with the #14 best bac­calau­re­ate teach­ing. Fea­tur­ing a 12 per­cent accep­tance rate, the Trin­i­ty Col­lege of Arts & Sci­ences offers an A.B or B.S. in Psy­chol­o­gy. This 11-course major digs depth in social, devel­op­men­tal, abnor­mal, bio­log­i­cal, and cog­ni­tive psy­chol­o­gy. Stu­dents also mas­ter research skills and SPSS hands-on in facil­i­ties like the New Iden­ti­ty and Diver­si­ty Lab.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $49,241

Learn more about Duke Uni­ver­si­ty’s Bach­e­lor Degrees in Psy­chol­o­gy here.

15. University of Wisconsin — Madison

Deemed a “Pub­lic Ivy,” the Uni­ver­si­ty of Wis­con­sin-Madi­son is a state, land-grant and sea-grant research insti­tu­tion with­in the APLU that’s car­ry­ing a $2.4 bil­lion endow­ment to edu­cate 29,300 under­grad­u­ates from a 936-acre urban cam­pus in the “City of Four Lakes.” The U.S. News ranked UW-Madi­son as Amer­i­ca’s 44th best col­lege and 10th top pub­lic school with the #14 best under­grad­u­ate teach­ing. The Col­lege of Let­ters & Sci­ence’s largest major leads to a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence in Psy­chol­o­gy. Stu­dents are men­tored through NSF-fund­ed exper­i­ments in the Psy­cho­log­i­cal Research Expe­ri­ence Pro­gram (PREP). Plen­ti­ful awards are avail­able, includ­ing the $2,500 F. Chan­dler Young Trav­el Scholarship.

Under­grad­u­ate Tuition: $10,415 (in-state) or $29,665 (out-of-state)

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