2023 Best Psychology Schools in California
Finding the Best Psychology School for You
Psychology is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 7,826 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 5th out of all the majors we track in the state.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Psychology Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 75 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Psychology Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for psychology majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Psychology Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for psychology students. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Brandman University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Psychology Schools in California list. Brandman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Irvine.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Fielding Graduate University is a great place for psychology students. Fielding is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Santa Barbara.
Out of the 75 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Palo Alto University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Pacific Graduate School of Psychology is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Palo Alto.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles is a great place for psychology students. The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Read full report on Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles
Santa Clara University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Psychology Schools in California list. Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
University of Southern California landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best psychology programs. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Psychology at University of Southern California
Fuller Theological Seminary did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for psychology students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena, Fuller is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary
Touro University Worldwide did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for psychology students. It came in at #9 on the list. TUW is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Los Alamitos.
Claremont Graduate University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Psychology Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Read full report on Psychology at Claremont Graduate University
University of San Francisco ranked #11 on this year’s Best Psychology Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Psychology Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | The Wright Institute | Berkeley, CA |
| 13 | The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 14 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 15 | Loma Linda University | Loma Linda, CA |
Best Psychology Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Psychology Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 406 |
| Oregon | 367 |
| Nevada | 88 |
| Hawaii | 140 |
| Alaska | 23 |
More Psychology Rankings in California
Psychology Related Rankings by Major
Psychology Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology | 29,224 |
| General Psychology | 8,051 |
| Child Development & Psychology | 2,576 |
| Other Psychology | 2,162 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Psychology
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 199,724 |
| Social Sciences | 22,292 |
| Communication & Journalism | 12,242 |
| Library Science | 5,929 |
| History | 4,391 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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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