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Best universities for psychology degrees 2024

Find the best colleges for psychology using Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2024 data

    October 26 2023
    Best universities in psychology

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    Top 10 universities for psychology 2024

    Scroll down for the full list of best universities for psychology degrees.

    Psychology Rank 2024 Psychology Rank 2023 UniversityCountry/region
    1 1 Stanford UniversityUnited States
    2 3 Princeton UniversityUnited States
    3 2 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom
    4 5 Harvard UniversityUnited States
    5 6 University of California, BerkeleyUnited States
    6 4 UCLUnited Kingdom
    7 7 Yale UniversityUnited States
    8 9 University of PennsylvaniaUnited States
    9 12 The University of ChicagoUnited States
    10 19 University of TorontoCanada

    Psychology is the study of the mind and human behaviour. Psychology students will learn about emotions, what motivates us and how we interact with each other.

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    Many psychology graduates go on to become professional psychologists; however, a degree in psychology can also lead to careers in childcare, social work or in the legal profession. Scroll down for a full guide to what you can do with a psychology degree.

    This year, Times Higher Education has released a ranking of the 621 best universities for psychology degrees.

    Nearly a quarter of the universities in the overall ranking (150 universities) are in the US. The next most-represented country is the UK, with 83 universities present. Australia, Germany and Canada are also well represented, with 36, 32 and 29 universities, respectively.

    The ranking uses the same methodology as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, but with a higher weighting for citations and a lower weighting for teaching. The full methodology can be found here.

    Best universities for psychology degrees in Canada
    Best universities for psychology degrees in the US
    Best universities for psychology degrees in Australia
    Best universities for psychology degrees in the UK

    The top 5 universities for psychology degrees

    5. University of California, Berkeley

    The University of California, Berkeley’s psychology department undertakes research in areas including development, cognition, social-personality and cognitive neuroscience among others. 

    The undergraduate psychology department holds regular peer adviser workshops for students to learn more about applying for postgraduate education and undertaking research projects. 

    The UC Berkeley Psychology Clinic offers training to talented PhD students every year while providing psychological and clinical support to residents of the Bay Area. 

    The department of psychology recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. 

    4. Harvard University

    Psychology is one of the most popular courses of study at undergraduate level at Harvard University.

    Undergraduate students can choose one of three study tracks: the general track, which offers the greatest flexibility; the cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology track; and the cognitive science track.

    The graduate programme covers four major research themes: cognition, brain and behaviour; developmental psychology; social psychology; and clinical science.

    3. University of Cambridge

    The psychological and behavioural sciences tripos at the University of Cambridge covers teaching in cognitive, social, developmental and biological psychology within the broader context of the behavioural sciences.

    Undergraduates are able to conduct laboratory work from their second year onwards to supplement their coursework and seminar learning.

    As students progress through the course, there are opportunities to specialise further.

    Potential study areas include statistics, neuroanatomy, neurotransmitters, neuroimaging, developmental psychology, psychopathology, cognitive psychology, language, gender, family relationships and influences, personality and group social behaviour.

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    2. Princeton University

    The psychology department at Princeton University has produced six Distinguished Contributions awards from the American Psychological Association, one Nobel prizewinner and three William James Fellow Awards from the Association for Psychological Science.

    Graduate study is focused on systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, perception and cognition, personality and social psychology, and physiological psychology.

    The department is closely affiliated with the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, which conducts research on neuroscience and psychological function.

    1. Stanford University

    The department of psychology at Stanford University was one of the first to be established at the institution.

    Research is carried out in areas including addictive behaviours, psychopathology and risk, and stereotyping.

    Undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are available, with the latter emphasising research training. The department is split into five research groups known as department areas, namely science, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology and social psychology.

    The department has close ties with many other departments at Stanford, such as biology, law, medicine and business. There are also aims to increase participation in various interdisciplinary programmes on campus.

    What can you do with a psychology degree?

    Top universities for psychology degrees 2024

    Click on each institution to view its World University Ranking 2024 profile.

    Psychology Rank 2024 Psychology Rank 2023 UniversityCountry/region
    1 1 Stanford UniversityUnited States
    2 3 Princeton UniversityUnited States
    3 2 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom
    4 5 Harvard UniversityUnited States
    5 6 University of California, BerkeleyUnited States
    6 4 UCLUnited Kingdom
    7 7 Yale UniversityUnited States
    8 9 University of PennsylvaniaUnited States
    9 12 The University of ChicagoUnited States
    10 19 University of TorontoCanada
    11 10 University of Michigan-Ann ArborUnited States
    12 11 University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
    13 16 Columbia UniversityUnited States
    14 15 New York UniversityUnited States
    15 8 King’s College LondonUnited Kingdom
    16 13 University of AmsterdamNetherlands
    17 14 University of British ColumbiaCanada
    18 20 KU LeuvenBelgium
    19 22 University of MelbourneAustralia
    =20 =23 Duke UniversityUnited States
    =20 =23 Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States
    22 27 Peking UniversityChina
    23 17 LMU MunichGermany
    24 18 Northwestern UniversityUnited States
    =25 =29 University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom
    =25 =29 University of MinnesotaUnited States
    27 =23 Carnegie Mellon UniversityUnited States
    28 31 McGill UniversityCanada
    29 21 Cornell UniversityUnited States
    =30 =35 Karolinska InstituteSweden
    =30 28 The University of QueenslandAustralia
    32 41 Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamNetherlands
    33 37 University of Texas at AustinUnited States
    34 32 University of California, DavisUnited States
    35 34 University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
    36 56 University of GroningenNetherlands
    37 43 University of ZurichSwitzerland
    38 52 University of California, IrvineUnited States
    =39 33 University of California, San DiegoUnited States
    =39 42 Humboldt University of BerlinGermany
    41 44 Vanderbilt UniversityUnited States
    42 38 University of WashingtonUnited States
    43 39 University of Wisconsin-MadisonUnited States
    44 51 Radboud University NijmegenNetherlands
    45 =35 University of Virginia (Main campus)United States
    =46 40 London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom
    =46 53 Ohio State University (Main campus)United States
    48 =61 Brown UniversityUnited States
    49 55 University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States
    50 54 Monash UniversityAustralia
    51 =69 Ghent UniversityBelgium
    52 58 Washington University in St LouisUnited States
    53 67 Maastricht UniversityNetherlands
    =54 59 Indiana UniversityUnited States
    =54 =46 University of ViennaAustria
    56 63 University of SydneyAustralia
    57 =48 Boston UniversityUnited States
    58 60 Penn State (Main campus)United States
    59 45 UNSW SydneyAustralia
    60 66 University of Maryland, College ParkUnited States
    61 =72 The University of TokyoJapan
    62 71 University of Hong KongHong Kong
    63 =77 Leiden UniversityNetherlands
    =64 =46 Cardiff UniversityUnited Kingdom
    =64 =48 National University of SingaporeSingapore
    66 =48 Tilburg UniversityNetherlands
    67 101–125 Purdue University West LafayetteUnited States
    68 101–125 Beijing Normal UniversityChina
    69 82 University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom
    70 80 Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong
    71 =72 University of BirminghamUnited Kingdom
    72 68 University of MannheimGermany
    73 91 Universität HeidelbergGermany
    =74 57 University of California, Santa BarbaraUnited States
    =74 76 Free University of BerlinGermany
    =74 94 University of GlasgowUnited Kingdom
    77 88 University of PaduaItaly
    78 =64 University of RochesterUnited States
    79 =95 Université Catholique de LouvainBelgium
    80 =74 University of TübingenGermany
    81 101–125 Michigan State UniversityUnited States
    82 =64 University of BristolUnited Kingdom
    83 87 Kyoto UniversityJapan
    84 99 Aarhus UniversityDenmark
    85 151–175 University of FloridaUnited States
    86 92 University of YorkUnited Kingdom
    87 =74 Dartmouth CollegeUnited States
    88 101–125 Macquarie UniversityAustralia
    89 =69 University of KentUnited Kingdom
    90 90 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campusUnited States
    91 101–125 Trinity College DublinIreland
    =92 83 University of St AndrewsUnited Kingdom
    =92 126–150 Yonsei University (Seoul campus)South Korea
    94 100 TU DresdenGermany
    =95 89 University of Colorado BoulderUnited States
    =95 176–200 University of IowaUnited States
    =95 101–125 University of LausanneSwitzerland
    =95 126–150 University of NottinghamUnited Kingdom
    99 98 University of KonstanzGermany
    100101-125Birkbeck, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
    100 101–125 University of Southern CaliforniaUnited States
    101–125 126–150 University of AdelaideAustralia
    101–125 81 Arizona State University (Tempe)United States
    101–125 =61 University of AucklandNew Zealand
    101–125 79 Australian National UniversityAustralia
    101–125 93 University of BathUnited Kingdom
    101–125 126–150 University of CologneGermany
    101–125 151–175 University of ConnecticutUnited States
    101–125 101–125 Curtin UniversityAustralia
    101–125 101–125 Emory UniversityUnited States
    101–125 =77 University of ExeterUnited Kingdom
    101–125 126–150 Flinders UniversityAustralia
    101–125 151–175 University of GenevaSwitzerland
    101–125 151–175 University of MassachusettsUnited States
    101–125 86 Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeSingapore
    101–125 101–125 University of Notre DameUnited States
    101–125 101–125 University of OtagoNew Zealand
    101–125 85 Ruhr University BochumGermany
    101–125 126–150 Sapienza University of RomeItaly
    101–125 101–125 University of SheffieldUnited Kingdom
    101–125 101–125 Simon Fraser UniversityCanada
    101–125 101–125 University of SouthamptonUnited Kingdom
    101–125 126–150 University of SussexUnited Kingdom
    101–125 =95 University of WarwickUnited Kingdom
    101–125 101–125 University of WaterlooCanada
    101–125 84 The University of Western AustraliaAustralia
    101–125 151–175 Western UniversityCanada
    126–150 151–175 University of ArizonaUnited States
    126–150 151–175 University of BarcelonaSpain
    126–150 97 University of BaselSwitzerland
    126–150 126–150 University of BernSwitzerland
    126–150 126–150 University of CalgaryCanada
    126–150 201–250 City, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
    126–150 151–175 Durham UniversityUnited Kingdom
    126–150 176–200 Florida State UniversityUnited States
    126–150 101–125 University of FreiburgGermany
    126–150 151–175 University of GeorgiaUnited States
    126–150 126–150 Georgia Institute of TechnologyUnited States
    126–150 201–250 University of HamburgGermany
    126–150 201–250 University of HelsinkiFinland
    126–150 126–150 Lancaster UniversityUnited Kingdom
    126–150 101–125 University of LiverpoolUnited Kingdom
    126–150 101–125 University of MacauMacao
    126–150 176–200 McMaster UniversityCanada
    126–150 126–150 University of MünsterGermany
    126–150 176–200 Northeastern University, USUnited States
    126–150 176–200 University of OsloNorway
    126–150 251–300 University of OttawaCanada
    126–150 101–125 University of PotsdamGermany
    126–150 101–125 Stony Brook UniversityUnited States
    126–150 126–150 York UniversityCanada
    151–175 126–150 University of CopenhagenDenmark
    151–175 176–200 Dalhousie UniversityCanada
    151–175 176–200 University of DenverUnited States
    151–175 101–125 University of Erlangen-NurembergGermany
    151–175 176–200 Friedrich Schiller University JenaGermany
    151–175 201–250 George Washington UniversityUnited States
    151–175 176–200 Goethe University FrankfurtGermany
    151–175 126–150 Goldsmiths, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
    151–175 201–250 University of GöttingenGermany
    151–175 201–250 Griffith UniversityAustralia
    151–175 151–175 University of JyväskyläFinland
    151–175 176–200 Korea UniversitySouth Korea
    151–175 201–250 La Trobe UniversityAustralia
    151–175 151–175 University of LeedsUnited Kingdom
    151–175 176–200 Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
    151–175 151–175 Linköping UniversitySweden
    151–175 151–175 Mizzou - University of MissouriUnited States
    151–175 201–250 University of MontrealCanada
    151–175 151–175 Newcastle UniversityUnited Kingdom
    151–175 201–250 Queen’s UniversityCanada
    151–175 126–150 Royal Holloway, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
    151–175 126–150 Rutgers University – New BrunswickUnited States
    151–175 176–200 Tel Aviv UniversityIsrael
    151–175 126–150 Ulm UniversityGermany
    151–175 176–200 Washington State UniversityUnited States
    151–175 176–200 University of WürzburgGermany
    176–200 201–250 University of AlbertaCanada
    176–200 126–150 Australian Catholic UniversityAustralia
    176–200 151–175 Boston CollegeUnited States
    176–200 251–300 University of California, RiversideUnited States
    176–200 151–175 University of California, Santa CruzUnited States
    176–200 251–300 Drexel UniversityUnited States
    176–200 176–200 University of EssexUnited Kingdom
    176–200 251–300 Université LavalCanada
    176–200 251–300 University of LimerickIreland
    176–200 201–250 Loughborough UniversityUnited Kingdom
    176–200 151–175 University of LuxembourgLuxembourg
    176–200 126–150 Maynooth UniversityIreland
    176–200 151–175 University of MiamiUnited States
    176–200 251–300 University of Nebraska-LincolnUnited States
    176–200 101–125 University of NeuchâtelSwitzerland
    176–200 301–400 Université du QuébecCanada
    176–200 176–200 University of ReadingUnited Kingdom
    176–200 201–250 University of São PauloBrazil
    176–200 151–175 University of SurreyUnited Kingdom
    176–200 201–250 Texas A&M UniversityUnited States
    176–200 176–200 University of TurkuFinland
    176–200 201–250 Uppsala UniversitySweden
    176–200 126–150 Victoria University of WellingtonNew Zealand
    176–200 251–300 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUnited States

     

    Editor's note: This table was updated in December 2023 to retroactively include Birkbeck, University of London based on their provided data submission. More information on the university's inclusion can be found here

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