Best degree programs for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary, ranked by enrollment
33 college programs and 1,803 schools train Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $80,340 median wage, 41,530 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
33 college programs at 1,803 schools train psychology teachers, postsecondary, graduating 226,538 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Psychology, General. The job pays a median of $80,340 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About psychology teachers, postsecondary
Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
33 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 42.0101 | 146,449 | 64.6% | 1,567 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 42.2799 | 14,082 | 6.2% | 152 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 3 | CIP 42.2803 | 12,264 | 5.4% | 277 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 4 | CIP 42.2814 | 7,215 | 3.2% | 143 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 5 | CIP 30.1701 | 6,635 | 2.9% | 123 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 6 | CIP 42.2801 | 6,396 | 2.8% | 205 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 7 | CIP 42.2704 | 4,599 | 2.0% | 74 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 8 | CIP 51.1505 | 4,547 | 2.0% | 138 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
| 9 | CIP 42.2805 | 3,734 | 1.6% | 205 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 10 | CIP 42.2804 | 3,169 | 1.4% | 127 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 11 | CIP 42.2813 | 2,999 | 1.3% | 96 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 12 | CIP 42.2812 | 2,718 | 1.2% | 59 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 13 | CIP 42.9999 | 2,686 | 1.2% | 67 | $36,890 | $18,200 |
| 14 | CIP 42.2806 | 1,874 | 0.8% | 84 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 15 | CIP 42.2703 | 1,771 | 0.8% | 63 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 16 | CIP 42.2706 | 1,391 | 0.6% | 32 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 17 | CIP 42.2899 | 711 | 0.3% | 46 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 18 | CIP 42.2811 | 630 | 0.3% | 6 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 19 | CIP 42.2802 | 464 | 0.2% | 34 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 20 | CIP 42.2707 | 455 | 0.2% | 33 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 21 | CIP 42.2810 | 428 | 0.2% | 25 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 22 | CIP 42.2701 | 382 | 0.2% | 22 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 23 | CIP 42.2815 | 318 | 0.1% | 18 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 24 | CIP 42.2708 | 210 | 0.1% | 16 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 25 | CIP 30.1001 | 183 | 0.1% | 22 | $43,343 | $22,125 |
| 26 | CIP 42.2807 | 101 | 0.0% | 9 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 27 | CIP 42.2817 | 40 | 0.0% | 1 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 28 | CIP 42.2705 | 23 | 0.0% | 2 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 29 | CIP 42.2808 | 22 | 0.0% | 3 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 30 | CIP 30.5301 | 19 | 0.0% | 2 | — | — |
| 31 | CIP 42.2702 | 16 | 0.0% | 2 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 32 | CIP 13.1335 | 5 | 0.0% | 4 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 33 | CIP 42.2809 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5,063 | Psychology, General | 43% | $34,565 | 100% |
| 2 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 11 feeder programs | 3,992 | Applied Behavior Analysis | 20% | $19,369 | — |
| 3 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 3,829 | Counseling Psychology | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 4 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 2,367 | Psychology, General | 0% | — | 67% |
| 5 | Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN Public · 4 feeder programs | 2,194 | Behavioral Sciences | 50% | — | — |
| 6 | Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,763 | Psychology, General | 74% | — | 55% |
| 7 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,671 | Psychology, General | 78% | — | 40% |
| 8 | University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 1,630 | Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 21% | $15,478 | — |
| 9 | National University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 1,605 | Applied Behavior Analysis | 43% | $31,817 | — |
| 10 | Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 1,281 | Applied Behavior Analysis | 64% | $33,585 | 58% |
| 11 | Walden University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 1,174 | Psychology, General | — | — | — |
| 12 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 1,163 | Clinical Psychology | 83% | $41,986 | 63% |
| 13 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 1,143 | Psychology, Other | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 14 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 1,139 | Psychology, General | 93% | — | 9% |
| 15 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,098 | Psychology, General | 57% | — | 93% |
| 16 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,084 | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 87% | — | 29% |
| 17 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,066 | Psychology, General | 68% | — | 90% |
| 18 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 1,015 | Psychology, General | 70% | — | 91% |
| 19 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,006 | Psychology, General | 77% | — | 43% |
| 20 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 9 feeder programs | 936 | Psychology, General | 86% | — | 27% |
| 21 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 927 | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 22 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 924 | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 86% | — | 42% |
| 23 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 917 | Psychology, General | 33% | — | — |
| 24 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 886 | Psychology, General | 11% | $26,445 | — |
| 25 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 861 | Psychology, General | 76% | — | 36% |
| 26 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 10 feeder programs | 852 | Psychology, General | 84% | — | 57% |
| 27 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 850 | Psychology, General | 86% | — | 24% |
| 28 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 7 feeder programs | 844 | Psychology, General | 65% | — | 74% |
| 29 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 821 | Psychology, General | 89% | — | 27% |
| 30 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 7 feeder programs | 819 | Psychology, General | 90% | — | 38% |
| 31 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 813 | Experimental Psychology | 83% | — | 33% |
| 32 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 4 feeder programs | 803 | Experimental Psychology | 93% | — | 16% |
| 33 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 4 feeder programs | 798 | Psychology, General | 85% | — | 80% |
| 34 | University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 6 feeder programs | 789 | Psychology, General | 61% | — | 72% |
| 35 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 6 feeder programs | 786 | Psychology, General | 84% | — | 58% |
| 36 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 784 | Psychology, General | 69% | — | 46% |
| 37 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 777 | Counseling Psychology | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 38 | Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 757 | Family Psychology | 55% | $6,760 | 96% |
| 39 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 6 feeder programs | 754 | Psychology, General | 68% | — | 86% |
| 40 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 732 | Psychology, General | 91% | — | 24% |
| 41 | The Chicago School at Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 728 | Applied Behavior Analysis | 0% | — | 46% |
| 42 | Teachers College at Columbia University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 712 | Behavioral Sciences | — | — | — |
| 43 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · 5 feeder programs | 694 | Psychology, General | 57% | — | 54% |
| 44 | Northcentral University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 681 | Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | — | — | — |
| 45 | Alliant International University - San Diego San Diego, CA Private for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 674 | Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | — | — | 0% |
| 46 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 6 feeder programs | 673 | Psychology, General | 68% | — | 87% |
| 47 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX Public · 4 feeder programs | 670 | Psychology, General | 55% | — | 89% |
| 48 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 5 feeder programs | 668 | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 85% | — | 58% |
| 49 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 642 | Experimental Psychology | 88% | — | 61% |
| 50 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 638 | Forensic Psychology | 56% | — | 57% |
What psychology teachers, postsecondary earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $107,340 | 4,410 | 0.91× | 213 | 44,048 |
| New York | $100,720 | 4,070 | 1.57× | 111 | 16,162 |
| Texas | $77,060 | 3,380 | 0.90× | 99 | 14,435 |
| Florida | $69,050 | 1,120 | 0.42× | 48 | 12,210 |
| Arizona | $78,610 | 940 | 1.08× | 29 | 9,487 |
| Virginia | $77,950 | 1,050 | 0.95× | 43 | 8,352 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,960 | 2,120 | 1.31× | 122 | 8,192 |
| Minnesota | $82,640 | 760 | 0.96× | 34 | 7,879 |
| Illinois | $77,860 | 2,260 | 1.39× | 54 | 6,478 |
| Massachusetts | $82,930 | 2,640 | 2.72× | 60 | 6,214 |
| New Hampshire | $95,030 | 110 | 0.63× | 15 | 5,735 |
| Indiana | $77,820 | 760 | 0.89× | 48 | 5,724 |
| New Jersey | $80,790 | 1,630 | 1.42× | 32 | 5,079 |
| Ohio | $78,530 | 1,500 | 1.02× | 72 | 5,034 |
| Georgia | $79,440 | 820 | 0.63× | 50 | 4,812 |
| North Carolina | $75,260 | 1,100 | 0.83× | 51 | 4,790 |
| Michigan | $99,900 | 920 | 0.78× | 47 | 4,265 |
| Colorado | $76,810 | 960 | 1.25× | 31 | 4,182 |
| Maryland | $101,430 | 640 | 0.87× | 26 | 3,219 |
| Washington | $78,330 | 840 | 0.88× | 26 | 3,109 |
| Missouri | $79,240 | 590 | 0.76× | 43 | 3,102 |
| Connecticut | $84,500 | 920 | 2.04× | 21 | 2,855 |
| Wisconsin | $77,580 | 630 | 0.80× | 31 | 2,827 |
| Kentucky | $74,520 | 590 | 1.10× | 27 | 2,784 |
| Tennessee | $76,010 | 790 | 0.90× | 35 | 2,628 |
| Oregon | $80,060 | 660 | 1.25× | 22 | 2,517 |
| Oklahoma | $61,720 | 410 | 0.90× | 33 | 2,428 |
| Utah | $93,090 | 200 | 0.43× | 10 | 2,348 |
| South Carolina | $74,890 | 390 | 0.63× | 31 | 2,190 |
| Louisiana | $91,340 | 140 | 0.27× | 24 | 2,165 |
| Alabama | $75,340 | 610 | 1.08× | 26 | 2,105 |
| Kansas | $79,730 | 230 | 0.61× | 28 | 1,694 |
| Iowa | $78,450 | 320 | 0.76× | 40 | 1,633 |
| Idaho | $83,010 | 180 | 0.77× | 11 | 1,434 |
| Mississippi | $62,590 | 260 | 0.84× | 20 | 1,294 |
| Nevada | $81,300 | 140 | 0.34× | 5 | 1,247 |
| Arkansas | $60,730 | 190 | 0.53× | 22 | 1,235 |
| West Virginia | $74,280 | 150 | 0.77× | 15 | 1,077 |
| New Mexico | $83,600 | 100 | 0.42× | 12 | 976 |
| Rhode Island | $94,360 | 180 | 1.35× | 9 | 937 |
| Nebraska | $77,340 | 170 | 0.61× | 20 | 927 |
| District of Columbia | $101,250 | 340 | 1.80× | 10 | 912 |
| Maine | $81,660 | 110 | 0.64× | 14 | 626 |
| Delawaremoderate | $102,340 | — | — | 4 | 454 |
| Montana | $77,120 | 90 | 0.69× | 10 | 444 |
| North Dakota | $97,110 | 60 | 0.50× | 8 | 439 |
| Vermont | $81,100 | 100 | 1.19× | 8 | 439 |
| Wyoming | $65,050 | 80 | 1.02× | 8 | 389 |
| South Dakota | $65,020 | 70 | 0.54× | 10 | 377 |
| Alaskamoderate | $79,040 | 70 | 0.81× | 3 | 153 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Recruit and hire new faculty.
Skills
- Learning Strategies4.3
- Speaking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Active Learning3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Monitoring3.5
Knowledge areas
- Psychology5.0
- English Language4.8
- Education and Training4.3
- Sociology and Anthropology3.9
- Mathematics3.8
- Therapy and Counseling3.8
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.5
- Written Comprehension4.1
- Written Expression4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Speech Clarity4.0
- Inductive Reasoning3.9
Core activities
- Training and Teaching Others5.0
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.9
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.5
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.5
- Working with Computers4.3
- Coaching and Developing Others4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Psychology Teacher, Postsecondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.1335Psychology Teacher Education
- 30.1001Biopsychology
- 30.1701Behavioral Sciences
- 30.5301Thanatology
- 42.0101Psychology, General
- 42.2701Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics
- 42.2702Comparative Psychology
- 42.2703Developmental and Child Psychology
- 42.2704Experimental Psychology
- 42.2705Personality Psychology
- 42.2706Behavioral Neuroscience
- 42.2707Social Psychology
- 42.2708Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology
- 42.2710Developmental and Adolescent Psychology(no graduates reported)
- 42.2799Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
- 42.2801Clinical Psychology
- 42.2802Community Psychology
- 42.2803Counseling Psychology
- 42.2804Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- 42.2805School Psychology
- 42.2806Educational Psychology
- 42.2807Clinical Child Psychology
- 42.2808Environmental Psychology
- 42.2809Geropsychology
- 42.2810Health/Medical Psychology
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Psychology Teacher, Postsecondary?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Psychology, General, which awarded 146,449 degrees in 2024-25, 64.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Psychology Teacher, Postsecondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 33 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Clinical, Research and Experimental Psychology, Behavioral Sciences, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 226,538 people a year.
How much do psychology teachers, postsecondary earn?+
The median is $80,340 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $49,050 at the 10th percentile to $153,600 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for psychology teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +3.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 4,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,803 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 33 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do psychology teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Instructor, Psychology Professor, Psychology Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1066.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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