Best colleges for Psychology in California
Ranked by graduate earnings
Santa Clara University, National University and California State University - East Bay are the top bachelor's Psychology programs in California by graduate earnings. Santa Clara University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $38,587, College Scorecard. California State University - Fullerton, California State University - Northridge and San Diego State University award the most Psychology degrees in California: 1,015, 1,002 and 769 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 186 California colleges offer Psychology and award 27,882 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Psychology program, specifically in General Psychology, explores the complexities of human behavior and mental processes. This program is ideal for students interested in understanding psychological principles and applying them to…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $38,587 | 102 | 88% | $44,094 | $17,667 |
| 2 | National University San Diego Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $38,523 | 341 | 43% | $31,817 | $31,250 |
| 3 | California State University - East Bay Hayward Public · Bachelor's degree | $37,702 | 306 | 48% | — | $15,000 |
| 4 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles Public · Bachelor's degree | $37,567 | 448 | 53% | — | $24,994 |
| 5 | Simpson University Redding Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $37,451 | 38 | 49% | $27,545 | $22,250 |
| 6 | University of San Francisco San Francisco Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $36,734 | 160 | 70% | $37,121 | $24,315 |
| 7 | University of San Diego San Diego Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $35,595 | 103 | 84% | $26,035 | $24,293 |
| 8 | Westmont College Santa Barbara Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $34,826 | 31 | 70% | $28,035 | $25,500 |
| 9 | San Francisco State University San Francisco Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,803 | 435 | 50% | — | $15,000 |
| 10 | University of Southern California Los Angeles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $34,139 | 197 | 92% | $26,873 | $14,000 |
Top 10 certificate and associate programs
Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merced College Merced Public · Associate degree | $34,441 | 352 | 36% | — | $6,849 |
| 2 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego Public · Associate degree | $26,229 | 147 | 35% | — | $7,597 |
| 3 | Modesto Junior College Modesto Public · Associate degree | $25,832 | 184 | 30% | — | $6,757 |
| 4 | College of the Desert Palm Desert Public · Associate degree | $25,792 | 137 | 31% | — | $5,500 |
| 5 | Pasadena City College Pasadena Public · Associate degree | $24,894 | 293 | 48% | — | $12,000 |
| 6 | Lemoore College Lemoore Public · Associate degree | $24,719 | 72 | 49% | — | $8,000 |
| 7 | College of the Sequoias Visalia Public · Associate degree | $23,008 | 170 | 39% | — | — |
| 8 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut Public · Associate degree | $16,894 | 359 | 45% | — | $5,500 |
| 9 | Coalinga College Coalinga Public · Associate degree | $16,139 | 23 | 43% | — | $8,000 |
| 10 | Fresno City College Fresno Public · Associate degree | $27,421 | 200 | 24% | — | $7,802 |
Colleges awarding the most Psychology degrees in California
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton Public | 1,015 | $27,965 |
| 2 | California State University - Northridge Northridge Public | 1,002 | $28,603 |
| 3 | San Diego State University San Diego Public | 769 | $29,346 |
| 4 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles Public | 745 | $30,614 |
| 5 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach Public | 731 | $27,511 |
| 6 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento Public | 609 | $32,603 |
| 7 | California State University - Fresno Fresno Public | 542 | $27,557 |
| 8 | San Jose State University San Jose Public | 539 | Not reported |
| 9 | California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson Public | 514 | $29,727 |
| 10 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles Public | 448 | $37,567 |
ShowHide the other 176 California colleges offering Psychology
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033).
Top skills
What Clinical and Counseling Psychologists earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Psychology programs in California.
Which California colleges award the most Psychology degrees?+
California State University - Fullerton (1,015 graduates a year), California State University - Northridge (1,002 graduates a year) and San Diego State University (769 graduates a year) award the most Psychology degrees in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 186 California colleges offer Psychology.
What is the best college for Psychology in California?+
By graduate earnings, Santa Clara University leads among bachelor's Psychology programs in California, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $38,587, College Scorecard. National University and California State University - East Bay follow. By degrees awarded, California State University - Fullerton is the largest, with 1,015 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Psychology program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Santa Clara University tops the list at $38,587. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Clinical and Counseling Psychologists earn in California?+
The average annual wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in California is $123,570 (median $116,000), across about 12,840 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Psychology program?+
The Psychology program, specifically in General Psychology, explores the complexities of human behavior and mental processes. This program is ideal for students interested in understanding psychological principles and applying them to…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, writing, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists?+
The national job outlook is about +11.2% growth with around 4,800 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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