Whether you’re an 18 year-old freshman or a non-traditional student looking to earn your degree, an online psychology degree can be a great place to start. Online degrees are a nice way to save money as room and board tend to be expensive, and if you aren’t 18, you probably don’t want to spend four years of your life earning a traditional degree while living on a college campus. Our ranking of the top 10 online psychology degrees is a great place to start your research. Not many know this, but more and more prominent state universities have started offering undergraduate psychology degrees online. Our ranking spotlights the online psychology degrees offered by some of the best universities in the United States.
#1. University of Florida
Rating: 21
The University of Florida is ranked #42 by U.S. News and World Report and #9 among the top public schools. U.S. News also ranks the University of Florida at #20 among the best online bachelor’s programs. Students who go on to graduate school often work as clinical psychologists or behavior analysts. Students who go directly into the workforce have taken jobs like mental health therapist, industrial psychologist, customer relations officer, correctional field officer, rehabilitation specialist, and human resources manager. Tuition is pretty reasonable for out of state students (listed below) and is incredibly affordable for residents at just around $3,100/year.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $410,000
- Graduation Rate: 87%
- Accolades: 4
- Standout Features: 2
- Tuition: $13,248
#2. Pennsylvania State University
Rating: 20
U.S. News and World Report ranks Penn State University #52 among national universities. Penn State World Campus, home to many of its online programs, including this psychology program, is ranked #8 for best online bachelor’s programs. Students can choose between a BS in psychology with a focus in life sciences or in business. PSU World Campus also offers a BA in psychology which graduates have applied in careers like social work, probation and corrections, professional at-home aid, caregiving for the elderly and children, and recreational therapy.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $421,000
- Graduation Rate: 86%
- Accolades: 4
- Standout Features: 1
- Tuition: $14,304
#3. Arizona State University
Rating: 16
Arizona State University is ranked the #1 most innovative school in the country by U.S. News and World Report. In addition to that ranking, U.S. News ranks ASU #4 among best online bachelor’s programs, and #115 in national universities. Students in the online B.S. in psychology degree will pay the same tuition regardless of residency. The professors in this program have a wide range of expertise and consist of psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, geographers, and political scientists. Students will take classes like learning and motivation, sensation and perception, memory and cognition, and personality theory and research.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $396,000
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Accolades: 5
- Standout Features: 1
- Tuition: $12,870
#4. University of Massachusetts Lowell
Rating: 15
The online psychology degree at UMass Lowell features courses like introduction to statistics, child and adolescent development, research I: methods, psychology of personality, abnormal psychology, and industrial/organizational psychology. UMass Lowell is ranked #54 among online bachelor’s programs and #156 among top national universities by U.S. News and World Report. Tuition for online and continuing education students is the same whether they live in Massachusetts or out of the state.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $568,000
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Accolades: 3
- Standout Features: 1
- Tuition: $9,120
#5. Washington State University
Rating: 15
U.S. News and World Report ranks Washington State #140 among national universities and #15 among best online bachelor’s programs. The online bachelor’s degree in psychology online at WSU features focus areas in neuroscience/cognition, social/motivational, and clinical/counseling. Some of the courses students will take are psychology as a science, elementary statistics in psychology, experimental methods in psychology, and biopsychological effects of alcohol and other drugs. Tuition for non-residents is only $672 per semester more than for residents.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $385,000
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Accolades: 4
- Standout Features: 1
- Tuition: $11,334
#6. Colorado State University
Rating: 14
Colorado State University is ranked #124 in national universities by U.S. News and World Report and #48 in best online bachelor’s programs. Psychology is the fourth most popular major at CSU. Online students pay the same affordable tuition rate regardless of whether or not they live in the state of Colorado. The six areas of study offered by this online psychology degree are social psychology, organizational psychology, psychological measurement and testing, industrial psychology, cognitive psychology, and biological psychology.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $349,000
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Accolades: 3
- Standout Features: 2
- Tuition: $13,860
#7. University of Arizona
Rating: 13
The University of Arizona is ranked #81 among best online bachelor’s programs by U.S. News and #124 among national universities. The affordable tuition applies to both resident and non-resident students. Students in this online psychology degree will take courses like cognitive neuroscience: a guide to mind and brain, social psychology, and health psychology. Graduates from this programs often go on to graduate school and careers in psychology, medicine, law, business, and education.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $417,000
- Graduation Rate: 60%
- Accolades: 2
- Standout Features: 1
- Tuition: $11,760
#8. Regis University
Rating: 12
Regis University is ranked #156 among best online bachelor’s programs by U.S. News and World Report and #27 among regional universities in the West. This online psychology bachelor’s degree features courses like abnormal psychology, brain and behavior, professional ethics in psychology, positive psychology, social psychology, the family, cognitive psychology, and behavioral and stress management.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $395,000
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Accolades: 2
- Tuition: $11,280
#9. LeTourneau University
Rating: 9
Graduates from LeTourneau University’s online psychology degree are qualified for jobs as case manager, recruiter, rehabilitation specialist, psychiatric technician, career counselor, and community relations officer. This online psychology degree is offered as an accelerated program in the online format. The B.A. in psychology is designed for students interested in areas like counseling, therapy, and social work. The B.S. in psychology is designed for students in heath or psychology research. Both are offered online. U.S. News and World Report ranks LeTourneau University #11 among best value regional universities in the west.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $427,000
- Graduation Rate: 53%
- Accolades: 1
- Standout Features: 1
- Tuition: $28,480
#10. Dallas Baptist University
Rating: 8
Dallas Baptist University is ranked #202 among national universities by U.S. News and World Report and #119 among best online bachelor’s programs. The online psychology degree offered by Dallas Baptist features courses like kinesiology, religion, psychology of personality, counseling theories and techniques, human growth and development and integration of psychology and Christianity.
- 20 Year Net ROI: $343,000
- Graduation Rate: 59%
- Accolades: 1
What can you do with a bachelor’s in psychology?
Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate degrees in the United States. While most jobs that really apply psychology in an official and professional capacity require a graduate degree, undergraduate psychology training can still be very useful in a wide range of jobs. After all, understanding people is a valuable skill to have in many professions. Some jobs available to those with a bachelor’s in psychology but no graduate degree are laboratory assistant, market researcher, psychiatric technician, probation and parole officer, rehabilitation specialist, sales representative, teacher, and writer.
Should you go to graduate school?
If you decide to major in psychology as an undergraduate and you intend to work in that field, then graduate school is just about a requirement. What graduate programs might pair well with your online psychology degree? Graduate degrees that focus on education, academic advising and student affairs, law and criminal justice, counseling, social work, and medicine and health sciences all pair very well with a psych undergrad degree. Psychology also pairs particularly well with marketing and human resources, so a graduate business degree could also be a good choice.
One caveat, however, is that if you don’t need graduate school for what you plan to do, then you shouldn’t feel pressured to go. People will have all kinds of opinions about the utility of a psychology degree. But as long as you do the research and know what you want, your opinion matters more than any of theirs.
How to Fund Your Psychology Degree
First, let’s talk about community college. Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t going to be attending ivy league universities. They aren’t exactly famed for their accessibility. That being the case, I always encourage students to consider doing their first two years of university at community college. Sure, it’s not the Hollywood college dream, but when you consider that your community college tuition can be covered in many cases by just one or two federal grants, it starts to look very good. Not to mention that good grades in community college will allow you to transfer into just about all the best state universities and a good many of the top private ones. So if you’re looking to get your college education for a great price, community college is a great place to start, regardless of your age. Many community colleges have online programs as well, so chances are you will be able to attend community college without ever having to set foot in a classroom.
Your first stop when searching for financial aid should always be FAFSA. This is where the bulk of everybody’s financial aid should be coming from. Federal education grants are essentially free money, and federally subsidized student loans have incredibly low interest and tons of great programs for paying them back, including loan forgiveness if you work at a non-profit for ten years. After that, private grants and scholarships should be where you look. Finally, if all else fails and it’s your only option, you can apply for private student loans. Private loans tend to be the worst deal and the most expensive form of funding. So make sure you exhaust other sources first.
Job Statistics and Information
For students who plan to attend graduate school and work in the psychology profession, the outlook is pretty good. The BLS says the median pay for psychologists is $75,230 per year and job growth is 14% for 2016-2026, representing an increase of 22,600 jobs in the market.
For students who don’t plan on attending graduate school, there are still good jobs available. Market Research Analysts make $62,560/year and have a job growth rate of 23% between 2016 and 2026, an increase of 136,000 jobs. Training development specialists make a median of $59,020/year and have a job growth rate of 11%, a total of 32,500 jobs between 2016 and 2026.
Sources and Resources
National Center for Education Statistics (tuition and graduation rate)
Payscale (return on investment information).
U.S. News and World Report (national rankings)
Methodology
20 yr net ROI
- $100,000=1 Point
- $150,000=2 Points
- $200,000=3 Points
- $250,000=4 Points
- $300,000=5 Points
- $350,000=6 Points
- $400,000=7 Points
- $500,000=8 Points
- $550,000=9 Points
Graduation Rate
- 55%=2 Points
- 60%=3 Points
- 65%=4 Points
- 70%=5 Points
- 75%=6 Points
- 80%=7 Points
- 85%=8 Points
- 90%=9 Points
Accolades:
Points were awarded based on praise the school received from reputable ranking organizations like Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, The Economist, or the Financial Times.
Standout Features
Points may be awarded in this category for any particularly exceptional features or designations the program might have. This includes accreditation beyond the required regional accreditation and program features that go above and beyond those offered by the average program of its kind.
PD Staff
January 2018