Psychology major

Psychology: courses, careers, and where to study

Psychology majors study human cognition, behavior, and emotion, preparing graduates for clinical, research, business, and human-services careers (and graduate school in clinical, counseling, and I/O psych).

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Psychology earn a median $50,706 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $35,740 to $67,229 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college

Psychology is one of the most popular U.S. majors, with about 116,000 bachelor's degrees awarded each year. Programs cover developmental, social, cognitive, abnormal, biological, and personality psychology, plus statistics and research methods. Many BS-track programs require additional natural-science prerequisites for graduates aiming at clinical or counseling psychology graduate school.

A Psychology bachelor's degree alone qualifies graduates for human-services, case-management, sales, marketing, and HR roles. Clinical practice requires a master's (LPC) or doctoral (PhD/PsyD) degree.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Psychology maps to CIP 42.0101, Psychology, General, within the PSYCHOLOGY family. The official definition:

A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What credential Psychology is awarded as

Of the 149,354 Psychology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:

  • Certificate: <1%, 509 credentials.
  • Associate: 13%, 19,797 credentials.
  • Bachelor's: 80%, 120,065 credentials.
  • Graduate: 6%, 8,983 credentials.

This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 51 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 1 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.

Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.

What you'll study

  • General, developmental, and social psychology
  • Abnormal and clinical psychology
  • Cognitive psychology and neuroscience
  • Biological psychology
  • Statistics and research methods
  • Personality theory
  • Industrial-organizational psychology
  • Senior research project or internship

Typical careers

Typical salary range: $45,000–$72,000 early-career (varies; clinical PhD median far higher)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

How much do Psychology graduates earn?

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Psychology earn a median $50,706 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $35,740 to $67,229 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

National median earnings four years after graduating for Psychology, by credential
CredentialNational medianMiddle half of programs
Bachelor's$50,706$35,740 to $67,229
Associate's$39,288$24,817 to $53,171
Undergraduate certificate$45,285$28,740 to $55,770
Master's$64,711$45,967 to $86,199
Doctoral$98,707$69,268 to $127,593
Graduate certificate$62,083$40,494 to $82,686

Compare Psychology programs in your state

Highest-earning bachelor's Psychology programs

Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Psychology, General. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Psychology, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.

Occupations associated with Psychology by the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
Managers, All Other$136,550106,700+4.5%Bachelor's degree
Social Science Research Assistants$58,0405,200+4.4%Bachelor's degree
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$95,8304,800+11.2%Doctoral or professional degree
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary$80,3304,000+3.6%Doctoral or professional degree
Psychologists, All Other$117,5803,900+4.3%Master's degree
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists$109,840400+6.3%Master's degree

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 6 of these 6 occupations report a median wage.

“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Psychology does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

Before you commit to a Psychology major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Psychology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Psychology department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Most Psychology programs are covered by their institution's regional accreditation; specialized programmatic accreditation is less common in this field. Confirm any field-specific accreditation or licensure that matters for your goals.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Psychology careers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Psychology program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Colleges that awarded the most Psychology credentials

Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.

Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Search Psychology schools

Where Psychology credentials were awarded

49 states have a distinct enough set of Psychology colleges to be worth its own page.

Psychology by state

Every Psychology program with its own CampusPin page

509 programs in 51 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.

Psychology programs in Alabama, 5 programs
Psychology programs in Alaska, 1 program
Psychology programs in Arizona, 3 programs
Psychology programs in Arkansas, 5 programs
Psychology programs in California, 43 programs
Psychology programs in Colorado, 11 programs
Psychology programs in Connecticut, 12 programs
Psychology programs in Delaware, 2 programs
Psychology programs in District of Columbia, 3 programs
Psychology programs in Florida, 16 programs
Psychology programs in Georgia, 12 programs
Psychology programs in Hawaii, 2 programs
Psychology programs in Idaho, 4 programs
Psychology programs in Illinois, 23 programs
Psychology programs in Indiana, 11 programs
Psychology programs in Iowa, 7 programs
Psychology programs in Kansas, 4 programs
Psychology programs in Kentucky, 6 programs
Psychology programs in Louisiana, 9 programs
Psychology programs in Maine, 2 programs
Psychology programs in Maryland, 11 programs
Psychology programs in Massachusetts, 19 programs
Psychology programs in Michigan, 10 programs
Psychology programs in Minnesota, 14 programs
Psychology programs in Mississippi, 4 programs
Psychology programs in Missouri, 11 programs
Psychology programs in Montana, 2 programs
Psychology programs in Nebraska, 3 programs
Psychology programs in Nevada, 3 programs
Psychology programs in New Hampshire, 3 programs
Psychology programs in New Jersey, 15 programs
Psychology programs in New Mexico, 2 programs
Psychology programs in New York, 48 programs
Psychology programs in North Carolina, 19 programs
Psychology programs in North Dakota, 2 programs
Psychology programs in Ohio, 17 programs
Psychology programs in Oklahoma, 5 programs
Psychology programs in Oregon, 6 programs
Psychology programs in Pennsylvania, 24 programs
Psychology programs in Rhode Island, 5 programs
Psychology programs in South Carolina, 7 programs
Psychology programs in South Dakota, 1 program
Psychology programs in Tennessee, 11 programs
Psychology programs in Texas, 32 programs
Psychology programs in Utah, 7 programs
Psychology programs in Vermont, 2 programs
Psychology programs in Virginia, 16 programs
Psychology programs in Washington, 11 programs
Psychology programs in West Virginia, 4 programs
Psychology programs in Wisconsin, 13 programs
Psychology programs in Wyoming, 1 program

Related majors

Still deciding between Psychology and something else?

These guides put Psychology side by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.

Put this major in context

The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Psychology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.

Explore Science & Research careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

Explore Management careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

How one major leads to many careers

Why a single Psychology degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.

Why a median wage is not a starting salary

How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.

When accreditation and licensure matter

How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Psychology path before you enroll.

Does a pricier college pay off?

How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.

Does picking a major narrow your college list?

Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.

Certificate or degree?

What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.