By PD Staff
December 2017

Earning a degree in psychology is a noble task, but it can also be an expensive one. Indeed, obtaining a bachelor’s degree can range in price from $22,000 to more than $40,000 per year, and that’s not even considering the costs of a master’s degree or doctorate. While scholarships and student loans can go a long way to curb the costs, there is a better way to pursue the degree you want without also pursuing major debt: tuition-free college.

The 10 schools on this list are all places where students can earn a psychology degree for free. While some schools on our list require students to work on-campus jobs in exchange for free tuition, others automatically cut the cost of tuition for students with a financial need.

Barclay College

Haviland, Kansas


Barclay College is a private Christian theological college located in Kansas. Students here can earn their psychology degree with a full-tuition scholarship so as to “graduate without crippling financial burdens.” There’s just one catch: students are only eligible for the full-tuition scholarship if they live in a dorm on campus.

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky


Beautiful Berea College, located amongst the hills of Kentucky, offers each of its students a $100,000 Tuition Promise Scholarship to cover the four years that it takes to earn a degree. In exchange for earning a psychology degree without taking on debt, students at this U.S. News & World Report-ranked school must work a minimum of 10 hours per week at an on-campus job.

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island


Brown University is the first of a few Ivy League institutions to make our list. Though Brown is not entirely tuition free, those accepted students whose families make less than $60,000 per year will have their tuition costs waived. Brown may not be the easiest place at which to earn a psychology degree, but for those who are able to receive a tuition-free Brown University education, there may be no better opportunity.

College of the Ozarks

Point Lookout, Missouri


If earning a psychology degree for the mere cost of a health/technology/services fee sounds good to you, then look no further than College of the Ozarks. Located in a beautiful Arkansas setting, College of the Ozarks offers its students a tuition-free education. In order to take advantage of such an incredible opportunity, students must attend classes full time (part-time students are required to pay per credit), work 15 hours per week at an on-campus job, work one 40-hour week over each school break, and pay the aforementioned nominal fee for health, technology, and services.

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York


While Cornell isn’t strictly a tuition-free college, it does waive all tuition expenses for students whose parents make a combined income of less than $60,000. In return, students attending this competitive Ivy League university for free are expected to work summer jobs in order to contribute a small amount to their education by buying books or paying fees, if they are able.

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina


Though it generally costs approximately $60,000 per year to attend such a prestigious university as Duke, students coming from families with an income of less than $60,000 are able to attend classes, receive room and board, and acquire books for free. Additionally, students with parents at other annual income levels are eligible to receive up to $50,000 to put towards their yearly education. Regardless of the amount received, students at Duke are asked to work during the summer in order to contribute approximately $3,000 to their education.

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts


Like the other Ivy League institutions on this list, students whose families make less than $60,000 per year are able to attend Harvard University tuition free. Additionally, extremely generous need-based grants and scholarships are available to other students whose families make less than $150,000 annually. Of course, the opportunity to earn a psychology degree at what is often considered the #1 university in the country does not come easily. Harvard currently has a 6% acceptance rate, and accepted students often rank amongst the best in terms of GPA and SAT scores.

Macauley Honors College at CUNY

New York, New York


Macauley Honors College is a liberal arts college associated with the eight-school City University of New York consortium. Accepted students may create their own individualized degree program with more than 210 options for majors, including psychology. In addition to a full-tuition scholarship, students also receive a $7,500 Opportunities Fund grant to learn, study, or conduct research in the United States or internationally. They also receive a MacBook Pro laptop, and a Cultural Passport to help them fully explore and enjoy all that New York City has to offer.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts


Like the other Ivy Leagues mentioned on our list of places at which a student can earn a psychology degree tuition free, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) waives tuition for families making less than $75,000 per year. Students receiving a tuition-free degree are still expected to contribute to the cost of room and board, books, and fees through scholarships, a personal loan, or a part-time job.

United States Military Academy

West Point, New York


Cadets with the privilege of earning their psychology degrees at the United States Military Academy at West Point can do so for free. West Point, ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the 12th best liberal arts college in the nation, requires each cadet to play on a sports team during each semester, and also complete a required military service upon graduation.