Best Psychology, General Programs in California (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Psychology Colleges in California
This page ranks the 56 Psychology, General programs in California by median earnings of Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, highest first. Santa Clara University leads the list with median earnings of $75,742 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $75,742 to $22,871, with a median of $53,042. For 2 of the 56 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 26 public and 30 private nonprofit institutions. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best on the page.
California State University-San Bernardino posts the lowest average net price, at $4,564.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $75,742 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University reports $75,742 in median earnings for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $74,178 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| University of San Diego ranks 2nd on this list, with an admission rate of 52% and median earnings of $74,178 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $70,461 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| Median federal debt among Psychology, General completers who borrowed sits at $14,000 for University of Southern California, which ranks 3rd on the page. | |||||
| 4 | Saint Mary's College of California · Moraga, CA | $70,123 | $30,378 | $19,462 | 86.5% |
| Saint Mary's College of California ranks 4th on this list and posts an average net price of $30,378 alongside median earnings of $70,123 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $65,071 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco shows a median of $65,071 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 150 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Azusa Pacific University · Azusa, CA | $63,963 | $22,212 | $15,781 | 88.4% |
| Azusa Pacific University admits 88% of applicants and reports median earnings of $63,963 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $63,617 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University ranks 7th on this list and its Psychology, General completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $20,500. | |||||
| 8 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $61,353 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Pepperdine University reports median earnings of $61,353 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $58,098. | |||||
| 9 | Dominican University of California · San Rafael, CA | $61,339 | $35,333 | $24,572 | 83.5% |
| Dominican University of California ranks 9th on this list and its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing earned a median of $61,339. | |||||
| 10 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $61,103 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University sits 10th on the page, with a median federal debt of $26,000 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $61,050 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles ranks 11th on this list and reports an average net price of $12,548 alongside median earnings of $61,050 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $60,958 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University admits 45% of applicants and its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing earned a median of $60,958. | |||||
| 13 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $60,466 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports median earnings of $60,466 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,665. | |||||
| 14 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $59,948 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz admits 66% of applicants and its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing earn a median of $59,948. | |||||
| 15 | California Lutheran University · Thousand Oaks, CA | $59,153 | $30,109 | $22,161 | 75.7% |
| A private nonprofit university in Thousand Oaks, California Lutheran University ranks 15th on this list and shows median federal debt of $23,000 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 16 | Whittier College · Whittier, CA | $58,397 | $25,757 | $21,718 | 80.8% |
| Whittier College posts an average net price of $21,718 for families earning under $30,000, with a Psychology, General earnings cohort of 23 graduates. | |||||
| 17 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $57,335 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University ranks 199th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $57,335 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of La Verne · La Verne, CA | $56,925 | $20,161 | $20,151 | 71.2% |
| University of La Verne shows median federal debt of $23,250 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $56,925. | |||||
| 19 | Simpson University · Redding, CA | $56,902 | $27,817 | $25,511 | 86.0% |
| Simpson University admits 86% of applicants and its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing earn a median of $56,902. | |||||
| 20 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $56,380 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine reports an average net price of $8,123 for families earning under $30,000, and its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing earn a median of $56,380. | |||||
| 21 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $55,902 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University ranks 51st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median federal debt of $15,000 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 22 | University of Redlands · Redlands, CA | $55,739 | $30,031 | $28,287 | 82.7% |
| University of Redlands posts median earnings of $55,739 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 83%. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $55,196 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| California State University-San Marcos reports an average net price of $10,229 and median earnings of $55,196 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $54,436 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| Median federal debt among Psychology, General completers who borrowed is $15,000 at California State University-East Bay, which admits 97% of applicants. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Monterey Bay · Seaside, CA | $54,074 | $13,663 | $9,970 | 97.4% |
| California State University-Monterey Bay reports median earnings of $54,074 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $13,663. | |||||
| 26 | The Chicago School at Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $53,952 | Not reported | Not reported | 46.3% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Los Angeles, The Chicago School at Los Angeles ranks 26th on this list and shows a median federal debt of $28,125 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 27 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $53,237 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento admits 94% of applicants and posts median earnings of $53,237 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $53,143 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| With an average net price of $7,945 for families earning under $30,000, University of California-Merced ranks 28th on this list and reports median earnings of $53,143 four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | Menlo College · Atherton, CA | $52,942 | $31,100 | $25,546 | 68.5% |
| Menlo College ranks 737th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a median federal debt of $21,500 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 30 | California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA | $52,742 | $8,615 | $7,303 | 93.3% |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills reports median earnings of $52,742 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 93%. | |||||
| 31 | Fresno Pacific University · Fresno, CA | $52,695 | $13,630 | $11,133 | 64.1% |
| A private nonprofit university in Fresno, Fresno Pacific University ranks 31st on this list and shows a median federal debt of $23,000 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 32 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $52,621 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| California State University-Chico posts median earnings of $52,621 four years after completing and an average net price of $9,902 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 33 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $52,612 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| With an admission rate of 71%, University of the Pacific ranks 33rd on this list and reports median earnings of $52,612 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $51,679 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on this page, 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions, and reports a median federal debt of $15,446 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 35 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $51,661 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton reports median earnings of $51,661 four years after completing and an average net price of $3,315 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 36 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $51,526 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| Ranking 26th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, California State University-Fresno posts median earnings of $51,526 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 37 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $51,021 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University reports median earnings of $51,021 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, alongside a cohort of 699 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 38 | William Jessup University · Rocklin, CA | $50,354 | $28,062 | $23,123 | 93.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Rocklin, William Jessup University admits 93% of applicants and its Psychology, General completers who borrowed left with a median of $20,784 in federal loans. | |||||
| 39 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $50,348 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| California State University-Stanislaus ranks 39th on this list and posts an average net price of $6,067. | |||||
| 40 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $49,792 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| With an Azimuth composite rank of 7th among nonprofit four-year institutions, California State University-Northridge reports median earnings of $49,792 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 41 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $49,747 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona shows median earnings of $49,747 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 75%. | |||||
| 42 | Concordia University-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $49,593 | $28,115 | $25,431 | 66.0% |
| Concordia University-Irvine ranks 42nd on this list and its Psychology, General completers who borrowed left with a median of $25,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 43 | Biola University · La Mirada, CA | $49,450 | $31,495 | $27,144 | 74.4% |
| Biola University reports an average net price of $31,495 and median earnings of $49,450 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 44 | La Sierra University · Riverside, CA | $49,265 | $45,566 | $44,988 | 91.5% |
| La Sierra University admits 92% of applicants and its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing earned a median of $49,265. | |||||
| 45 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $49,207 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| California State University-Bakersfield ranks 45th on this list, with a school-wide median federal debt of $16,600 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 46 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $48,926 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| An Azimuth composite rank of 5th among nonprofit four-year institutions coincides with an average net price of $10,440 at California State University-Long Beach. | |||||
| 47 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $48,789 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| California State University-Channel Islands shows median earnings of $48,789 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, alongside a cohort of 356 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 48 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $48,326 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| An admission rate of 94% and an average net price of $4,564 are reported by California State University-San Bernardino. | |||||
| 49 | Vanguard University of Southern California · Costa Mesa, CA | $47,582 | $21,241 | $17,225 | 62.4% |
| Vanguard University of Southern California reports median earnings of $47,582 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $16,266 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 50 | Hope International University · Fullerton, CA | $47,206 | $29,310 | $27,991 | 33.0% |
| Hope International University admits 33% of applicants and its Psychology, General graduates earn a median of $47,206 four years after completing. | |||||
| 51 | Point Loma Nazarene University · San Diego, CA | $46,437 | $38,729 | $30,999 | 83.7% |
| Point Loma Nazarene University posts an average net price of $30,999 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 52 | Touro University Worldwide · Los Alamitos, CA | $46,340 | $19,058 | $18,342 | Not reported |
| Touro University Worldwide ranks 538th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Psychology, General graduates posted median earnings of $46,340 four years after completing. | |||||
| 53 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $45,889 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| A public university in Arcata, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt reports a median federal debt of $15,000 among Psychology, General completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 54 | Westmont College · Santa Barbara, CA | $45,455 | $29,053 | $20,899 | 77.1% |
| Westmont College shows median earnings of $45,455 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 21 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 55 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $33,604 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University ranks 23rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $13,760. | |||||
| 56 | Mount Saint Mary's University · Los Angeles, CA | $22,871 | $21,413 | $23,849 | 73.1% |
| Mount Saint Mary's University reports median earnings of $22,871 for its Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, and its average net price is $21,413. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Psychology, General graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure covers federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 56 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Santa Clara University and University of San Diego is $1,564, while the spread from the top to the bottom of the list reaches $52,871.