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).

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 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.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Psychology. Linked titles open a CampusPin career page with BLS pay and outlook data; others are listed for reference.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Crosswalk: CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. A program of study does not guarantee any specific occupation.

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 Psychologycareers 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 that offer Psychology programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

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Related majors

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.