Best colleges for psychology in the US 2026

By Joy.Hunter@tim…, 10 March, 2026

Top colleges in the US for psychology 2026

US Psychology Rank 2026	Global Psychology Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	2	Stanford University	93.3	97.6	100	87.9	100	76.4
2	3	University of California, Berkeley	91.7	87.5	98.6	92.9	100	71.9
3	4	Princeton University	90.6	88.5	92.8	94.3	100	68.1
4	5	Harvard University	88.5	95.8	99.9	80.2	78.2	65.9
5	7	Yale University	87.1	94.8	99.6	78.3	67.4	66.9
6	8	University of Pennsylvania	84.8	88.3	96.6	76.8	77.2	71.8
7	10	The University of Chicago	82.5	90.6	91.3	74.1	68	69.2
8	11	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	82.1	85.7	96.6	75.9	69.3	54.6
9	12	University of California, Los Angeles	81.9	82.3	98.4	74.9	82.5	54.1
10	15	Columbia University	80.9	77.9	93	72.3	96.1	80.5
11	16	New York University	80.1	75.6	91.7	74.4	89.2	77.2
12	17	Duke University	79.1	79.5	91.2	72.7	100	54.5
13	22	Northwestern University	75.7	72.2	85.6	80.3	67.4	35.3
14	26	Johns Hopkins University	74.8	75.6	85.6	68.2	77.6	63
15	29	Carnegie Mellon University	72.7	61.3	73.8	83.1	67.4	63.9
=16	=32	University of Minnesota	71.2	60	80.7	76.1	100	39.6
=16	=32	University of Wisconsin-Madison	71.2	63.1	78.2	74.2	96.7	48
18	35	University of Texas at Austin	70.1	66.8	72.3	76.7	78.6	38.4
19	=37	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	69.6	65.2	74.8	73.3	71.7	49.2
20	39	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	69.4	59.5	81.7	73.8	68.4	41.8
21	40	University of California, San Diego	69	67.7	72.5	65.1	96.9	64.5
22	43	University of Washington	68.4	61.5	75.2	70	67.4	61.7
23	45	Vanderbilt University	68	58	70.7	74	67.8	66.2
=24	=46	Brown University	67.9	71.2	69.3	65	72.8	62.6
=24	=46	University of California, Davis	67.9	50.9	75.1	75	67.8	69.9
26	=50	Ohio State University (Main campus)	67.5	63.6	72.4	69.9	71.6	51.1
27	=53	Penn State (Main campus)	66.7	60.7	70	73.3	69.9	44.2
28	=56	Washington University in St Louis	66.4	61.2	72	70.8	67.4	43.4
29	58	Boston University	65.3	60.5	66.6	68.3	80.5	56.1
30	60	University of California, Irvine	65	41	69.3	78.8	73.4	66.7
31	64	University of Virginia (Main campus)	64.4	59.5	53.8	77.1	78.8	52.6
32	66	Michigan State University	63.9	52.2	66.5	73.8	67.3	48.4
33	76	Dartmouth College	61.1	58.7	50.2	72.9	68.3	49.2
34	=77	University of Maryland, College Park	61	44.9	61.2	78.4	67.3	33.6
35	79	Purdue University West Lafayette	60.7	40.7	55.1	80.4	68	56
=36	=82	Georgia Institute of Technology	60.2	43.9	40	86.5	72.3	59.3
=36	=82	University of Southern California	60.2	46.4	58.6	71.7	73.4	54.6
=38	=84	University of California, Santa Barbara	60.1	44.4	45.8	78	94.7	64.4
=38	=84	University of Rochester	60.1	40.5	53.1	76.7	67.7	73.1
40	93	University of Massachusetts	57.6	44.6	47.1	73	82.3	56.3
=41	=98	Indiana University	57.1	44	51.2	70.4	87.3	45.9
=41	=98	Northeastern University, US	57.1	40.7	39.4	79.4	83.5	60.2
=43	101–125	Boston College	55.3–56.9	45.1	42.4	74.7	66.6	47.5
=43	101–125	Emory University	55.3–56.9	40.4	56.4	68.3	67.4	55.2
=43	101–125	Rice University	55.3–56.9	49.4	42.8	71.6	60	43.4
=43	101–125	Stony Brook University	55.3–56.9	35.4	43.6	79.3	70.3	50.7
=43	101–125	University of Oregon	55.3–56.9	37.1	49.1	76.3	67.2	41.9
=48	126–150	Arizona State University (Tempe)	52.6–55.2	37.3	44.4	74.4	71.6	37.8
=48	126–150	Florida State University	52.6–55.2	36.2	44.2	70.8	68.9	48.3
=48	126–150	University of Arizona	52.6–55.2	34.7	47.4	74.2	78.6	37.1
=48	126–150	University of Iowa	52.6–55.2	38.4	52.9	63.2	80.4	47.7
=48	126–150	University of Notre Dame	52.6–55.2	47.8	37.5	64.7	59.2	62.6
=48	126–150	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campus	52.6–55.2	30.7	57.3	73.5	67.6	33.3
=54	151–175	George Mason University	49.7–52.1	39.9	32.7	70.9	69.9	44.4
=54	151–175	University of Colorado Boulder	49.7–52.1	36.5	44.4	68.5	67.4	36.7
=54	151–175	University of Connecticut	49.7–52.1	34.9	32.4	73.9	68.3	61
=54	151–175	University of Florida	49.7–52.1	36.6	44.5	70.5	82.4	29
=58	176–200	Texas A&M University	48.4–49.6	38.5	33.5	66	65.9	44.8
=58	176–200	Tufts University	48.4–49.6	37	32.6	65.9	67.4	60.3
=58	176–200	University of Georgia (USA)	48.4–49.6	29	33.4	74.8	72.9	33.2
=58	176–200	University of Miami	48.4–49.6	34	39.7	68.4	70.2	38.3
=62	201–250	George Washington University	45.3–48.3	37	26.6	68.4	64.6	53.1
=62	201–250	Iowa State University	45.3–48.3	23.4	32.6	73	84	32.7
=62	201–250	North Carolina State University	45.3–48.3	29	27.1	71.9	74.5	40.8
=62	201–250	University of California, Riverside	45.3–48.3	27.1	34.2	70.1	63.6	51.3
=62	201–250	University of Central Florida	45.3–48.3	35.6	30.6	67.7	75.2	28.3
=62	201–250	University of Delaware	45.3–48.3	26.4	36.5	67.7	95.3	36.6
=62	201–250	University of Denver	45.3–48.3	27.7	28.2	75.4	58	31.5
=62	201–250	University of Kansas	45.3–48.3	37.9	31.9	62.3	97	38.9
=62	201–250	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	45.3–48.3	36.4	38.3	62.1	56.1	30.8
=62	201–250	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	45.3–48.3	25	34.5	65.8	85.8	44.9
=72	251–300	Baylor University	42.8–45.2	32.2	24.3	69.4	57.9	28.1
=72	251–300	Brandeis University	42.8–45.2	29.5	21	61.6	67.3	70.8
=72	251–300	Clark University	42.8–45.2	30.1	16.1	74.5	47.8	41.8
=72	251–300	Colorado State University, Fort Collins	42.8–45.2	29.7	29.4	63.4	67	29.3
=72	251–300	Mizzou - University of Missouri	42.8–45.2	26.2	32	67.2	68.3	31
=72	251–300	Rutgers University–New Brunswick	42.8–45.2	34	25.6	63.8	68.2	40
=72	251–300	University at Buffalo	42.8–45.2	23.5	34.4	65.1	67.4	36.2
=72	251–300	University of California, Merced	42.8–45.2	19.5	20.2	77.8	41.2	56.7
=72	251–300	University of Houston	42.8–45.2	28.5	29.2	63.6	66.2	49.7
=72	251–300	University of Illinois Chicago	42.8–45.2	24.1	30.3	68.4	80.2	35.8
=72	251–300	University of South Florida	42.8–45.2	25.5	30.5	65.2	74.5	38.6
=72	251–300	University of Toledo	42.8–45.2	27.8	20	70.9	71.7	61.1
=72	251–300	Virginia Commonwealth University	42.8–45.2	29.2	30.2	67.4	79.4	26.4
=72	251–300	Wake Forest University	42.8–45.2	25.9	28.2	65.6	82	38.5
=72	251–300	Washington State University	42.8–45.2	27.1	27.9	67.3	95.6	36.4
=87	301–400	Auburn University	38.3–42.6	25.7	28.5	54.2	83	33.7
=87	301–400	Case Western Reserve University	38.3–42.6	27.4	22.8	61.9	67.4	47.8
=87	301–400	Drexel University	38.3–42.6	24.5	25.7	60.6	95.5	43.4
=87	301–400	Florida International University	38.3–42.6	15.5	30.3	63.8	41.5	31.6
=87	301–400	Georgia State University	38.3–42.6	24.9	26.4	62.1	67.6	34
=87	301–400	Illinois Institute of Technology	38.3–42.6	33.2	24.2	61.1	39.5	46
=87	301–400	Lehigh University	38.3–42.6	16.6	18.1	67.1	50.6	52.3
=87	301–400	Portland State University	38.3–42.6	24.5	23.4	71.7	30.8	30.8
=87	301–400	SUNY Binghamton University	38.3–42.6	30.5	27	53.3	63.3	32.2
=87	301–400	Saint Louis University	38.3–42.6	26.3	19.5	62.3	70.2	27.5
=87	301–400	San Diego State University	38.3–42.6	25.2	21.5	61.7	65.9	26.5
=87	301–400	Southern Illinois University Carbondale	38.3–42.6	29.8	20.9	52	95.7	37.5
=87	301–400	Temple University	38.3–42.6	25	20.6	70.2	67.1	28.3
=87	301–400	Texas Tech University	38.3–42.6	23.3	20	61	66.9	36.2
=87	301–400	The New School	38.3–42.6	34.9	17.9	52.8	43.5	75.9
=87	301–400	Tulane University	38.3–42.6	27.2	25.2	60	48.4	30.5
=87	301–400	University of Arkansas	38.3–42.6	27.3	29.9	61.5	66.4	22.6
=87	301–400	University of California, Santa Cruz	38.3–42.6	23.3	16.9	63.3	73.9	37.5
=87	301–400	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	38.3–42.6	23.2	24.8	64.1	67.4	22.2
=87	301–400	University of Hawai’i at Mānoa	38.3–42.6	29.2	31.2	51.8	67.2	58.4
=87	301–400	University of Kentucky	38.3–42.6	23.1	26.9	63.2	67.3	29.1
=87	301–400	University of Memphis	38.3–42.6	29.6	23.5	57.2	64.1	29.5
=87	301–400	University of Nevada, Las Vegas	38.3–42.6	25.5	19.9	67.4	56.7	30.6
=87	301–400	University of South Carolina-Columbia	38.3–42.6	20.2	26.5	57	62.2	46.1
=87	301–400	University of Texas at Arlington	38.3–42.6	24.8	20.5	68.5	60.4	34.7
=87	301–400	University of Utah	38.3–42.6	22.4	26.3	62.2	92	31.4
=87	301–400	Wayne State University	38.3–42.6	20.2	22.7	63.8	94.4	30.5
=114	401–500	Florida Atlantic University	33.6–38.2	20.3	21	48.1	62.6	42.6
=114	401–500	Kansas State University	33.6–38.2	24.8	28.9	54.1	41.9	31.3
=114	401–500	Louisiana State University	33.6–38.2	20.2	21.9	63.1	67.3	28.1
=114	401–500	New Mexico State University (Main campus)	33.6–38.2	13.5	14.1	61.5	51.1	39.3
=114	401–500	Northern Illinois University	33.6–38.2	23	22.3	56.2	62.4	28.5
=114	401–500	Ohio University (Main campus)	33.6–38.2	25.5	24.7	53.9	63.7	24.9
=114	401–500	Oklahoma State University	33.6–38.2	18.4	13.7	62.2	74.5	28.8
=114	401–500	Old Dominion University	33.6–38.2	19.8	18.6	57.1	48.2	25.8
=114	401–500	SUNY University at Albany	33.6–38.2	21.8	19.1	55.9	69.3	43.7
=114	401–500	Syracuse University	33.6–38.2	16.3	25.9	56.2	61.5	62.5
=114	401–500	The University of Alabama	33.6–38.2	18.9	20.6	58.9	49.9	30.2
=114	401–500	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	33.6–38.2	22.1	21.2	58.8	60.1	29.9
=114	401–500	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	33.6–38.2	19.2	21	64	51.2	25.2
=114	401–500	University of Rhode Island	33.6–38.2	24.9	20.8	50.9	65	24.5
=114	401–500	University of Texas at Dallas	33.6–38.2	13.9	19.8	54.8	71.1	32.6
=129	501–600	American University	28.2–33.5	27.1	17.9	42	61	31.3
=129	501–600	Central Michigan University	28.2–33.5	21.8	11.5	50.6	53.8	27.9
=129	501–600	Mississippi State University	28.2–33.5	15.1	10.3	57.1	53	34.4
=129	501–600	Montana State University	28.2–33.5	20.7	16.7	47.1	36.2	21.6
=129	501–600	Pace University-New York	28.2–33.5	20.8	7.3	48.5	22.7	51.1
=129	501–600	Rochester Institute of Technology	28.2–33.5	19.8	11.7	44.3	49.4	35.4
=129	501–600	Rowan University	28.2–33.5	15.5	10.6	50.3	64.1	26
=129	501–600	Texas State University	28.2–33.5	13.3	16.1	58	30.8	28.6
=129	501–600	The Catholic University of America	28.2–33.5	24.5	14.9	47.1	56.2	28.2
=129	501–600	The University of Texas at San Antonio	28.2–33.5	16.9	15.8	54.4	66.2	24.9
=129	501–600	University of Maryland, Baltimore County	28.2–33.5	16.1	12.8	51.7	57.3	30.1
=129	501–600	University of Missouri-Kansas City	28.2–33.5	28.8	14.3	38.1	48.3	22.1
=129	501–600	University of Nebraska Omaha	28.2–33.5	18	14	59.9	28.2	33.5
=129	501–600	University of Texas at El Paso	28.2–33.5	21.9	23.1	51.4	27.6	26.1
=129	501–600	University of Wyoming	28.2–33.5	25.3	14.1	49.6	67.5	31.1
=129	501–600	William & Mary	28.2–33.5	27.6	15.4	51.3	26.4	30.1
=145	601+	Adelphi University	15.4–28.1	16.4	7	48.2	27.7	35.3
=145	601+	Georgia Southern University	15.4–28.1	13.6	10.1	52.7	21	23.4
=145	601+	Nova Southeastern University	15.4–28.1	24.2	10.4	36.4	48.3	23.3
=145	601+	Oakland University	15.4–28.1	12	15.2	47.1	42.6	31
=145	601+	University of South Dakota	15.4–28.1	25	9.8	34.8	35.8	26.8
=145	601+	University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	15.4–28.1	10.8	7.1	50.7	23	35.5

Key insights into the top schools for psychology in the US

Stanford University is the top university in the US for a psychology degree.
Some 150 universities in the US are featured in the table for the best universities for psychology in the US.
The top three universities (Stanford University, Harvard University and Princeton University) achieve perfect scores for their links to industry.
The Psychology table evaluates schools and colleges across several narrower disciplines: Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sport Psychology, Business Psychology and Animal Psychology.

Choosing the Right University in the US for Psychology

The US higher education system offers flexible course options, and most undergraduates can study a range of subjects before declaring their specialisation or major at the end of their second year.

Psychology is a popular major or minor choice for students in the US. Students can study a range of topics, including cognitive psychology, social behaviours and abnormal psychology. Students often get the chance to be involved in research projects with academics at their institutions.

Postgraduate options are varied and usually require students to undertake a large independent research project.

When selecting a university for psychology in the US, rankings can provide a helpful benchmark for assessing academic strength and how well a university prepares you for a future career.

The Times Higher Education Subject Rankings: Psychology assess universities using five core pillars:

Research environment
Teaching quality
Research quality
Industry collaboration
International outlook

These indicators give students and families reliable insights into how institutions perform across critical areas of education and innovation.

The table for the best universities for psychology in the US was derived from data collected for the THE World University Subject Rankings: Psychology. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.

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Discover the best psychology schools in the US featuring 150 universities across the US. The US psychology ranking is derived from the Times Higher Education University Rankings by Subject 2026: Psychology, released in January 2026.

The list is based on a comprehensive assessment that scores top universities in the US in psychology in areas such as teaching, research and international outlook for studying psychology. The methodology is designed by Times Higher Education’s in-house data team, and it is trusted by students, academics, policymakers, and industry leaders worldwide.

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Best colleges for psychology in the US 2026

Top colleges in the US for psychology 2026

Key insights into the top schools for psychology in the US

Choosing the Right University in the US for Psychology

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