Best Colleges for Psychology

When you are planning on studying the field of psychology, there are many things that you should consider before you choose a college. It is a great thing to study in one of the best colleges for psychology. As a psychologist, you will be working closely with your patients, guiding them towards living high-quality lives.

Advanced Degree Needs

One major issue to prepare for is that in order to work in the field of psychology, you will need to get an advanced degree. A bachelor’s in psychology is practically useless because there are not any jobs in the field of psychology for those with that four year degree. There are many jobs available for those with a master’s degree in psychology, but there are even more opportunities with even better pay for those who graduate from a doctorate program in psychology.

What to Consider: Large State University or Small Private College

When you are ready to start choosing a school for your psychology program, you have a few things to consider. The first is your preferences. Most of the colleges and universities that offer psychology programs are state universities and colleges. These are the largest of the educational institutions. It is very easy for students to get overlooked in large universities because the schools are so big. If you are a person who really needs individual service in a college, you should look into smaller colleges that offer the same programs.

School Ranking

Something else you should consider is the ranking of the school. Because psychology is considered a science degree, you should attend a school that has a high ranking. As you will possibly have to apply for a psychology advanced degree programs in another school, you should always apply to schools that have high rankings. This means that the school provides top notch educational programs and that your degree from that top school is worth more than a degree from a lower ranked school. You will have an easier time finding a job  than if you earn a degree from a higher ranked school.

Class Size

It is also important to consider class sizes. If you are able to keep up on your work on your own or with study partners, then a large university with big classes will not bother you. However, if you rely on the professor to help you through difficult parts of the class, then you might want to attend a school with small classes or a small psychology department.

Visit the School

If you have no idea what you are looking for in a university, then you might want to take a few days to see what it is like at the universities that you are planning to attend. Try out a big class or a small class and see what you like. You can also speak to your friends who have already taken college classes and go from there.

The top colleges for psychology programs include:

• Stanford University
• University of California at Berkeley
• Harvard University
• University of California at Los Angeles
• University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
• Yale University
• University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

These programs are ranked in the top because they have the best professors, the ideal class sizes, and the most graduates who work in their fields.