Are you interested in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating mental illnesses? A PhD in psychology will pave the way to a rewarding career as a licensed psychologist.
As our understanding and development of effective treatments for mental illnesses continues to grow, there is an increasing demand for highly educated psychologists who are able to implement them. If you want to learn more about how the brain works and have a desire to serve others in need, a degree in psychology might be the right choice for you.
What kind of psychology degree should you get?
All of the colleges we have included on our list are highly accredited – meaning they have the backing of the psychology community and have strong, impactful curricula. Although there are multiple sub-concentrations within the field of psychology (which many of these programs offer), each reviewed degree contained a strong core of research-based classes.
When you graduate with an online psychology degree, you have the choice of pursuing a career in the medical, academic, or scientific field. Not sure if one of these degree programs is the right choice for you? Be sure to check out our ranking of the Best Online Colleges and Universities for a more comprehensive overview.
How much money do people make with psychology degrees?
Psychologists are some of the highest paid professionals in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as a psychologist you can expect to earn an average salary of well over $77,000 per year. While graduates who went on to work for the government or within large hospital settings earned the highest salaries, wages are high across the board in this degree.
These jobs are in high demand, with an anticipated 23,000 new jobs expected to be created by 2026. This reflects a change of 14 percent – which is much higher than the national average. The highest demand for psychological services is in schools and hospitals, along with public and private mental health centers.
What can you do with a degree in psychology?
A degree in psychology will open you up to a wide variety of career paths. Psychologists study cognitive, social, and emotional functioning by analyzing behavior and scientific findings. They look closely at how people relate to each other and to their environments and use their research to develop targeted interventions for people with mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders.
There are several subcategories of psychology you can explore upon graduation. Many students go on to become clinical psychologists, who work to assess and treat a range of disorders. Counseling psychologists work directly with patients to help them understand their strengths and weaknesses, while developmental psychologists work mostly with children and adolescents. Other branches of psychology include forensic psychology, rehabilitation psychology, school psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology.
What are the requirements for a degree in psychology?
To become a licensed psychologist, you will need a minimum of a master's degree in psychology. While a master's degree typically suffices for positions in schools and other smaller settings, those in clinical practice must have a PhD.
A PhD is a degree that is research-heavy, requiring students to take comprehensive examinations and write dissertations based on their original research. You will take classes in statistics and research procedures and will likely need to complete a minimum of a one-year internship. Depending on whether you choose to pursue a specific concentration in your field, you may need to take additional coursework in things like student development or organizational behavior.
What are the best psychology degrees?
The best psychology degree will be one that allows you to work at your own pace, while also receiving access to the top curriculum and instructional techniques around the country. You shouldn't have to sacrifice the academic quality of your program for the convenience of online delivery – these programs will help you check off all your boxes as you search for the best online PhD in psychology.
We've found that the best degrees are those that offer fair not only fair prices, but ample flexibility and convenience as well! To find the best degrees for you, we look at the best schools in the country based on reputation, student satisfaction, program quality, and return on investment. Then we review the bottom line – just how much is this going to cost? Check out our methodology page for a more in depth description of our data.
Once we determine all of the above, we curate a list of stellar schools for you! These not only represent the best degrees you can get, but also ones that will fit your budget. Check out our picks below!
Ranking
See our rankings methodology page.
