Rankings Methodology
Psychology.org’s mission is to provide learners with the knowledge and information they need to pursue a fulfilling career in psychology, counseling, and mental health. We achieve this by providing reliable and up-to-date rankings of the best psychology schools and programs.
Psychology.org’s school ranking methodology considers key factors that help students choose the best school for their needs. We compile data from national databases on postsecondary schools and meticulously review it for accuracy. Learn more about the factors and subfactors that make up our rankings on this page.
When applicable, our independent third-party panel of experts reviews page content — excluding school descriptions — for accuracy.
Where Our Rankings Data Comes From
Psychology.org collects data for our rankings from trusted sources like the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and Peterson’s.
As part of the U.S. Department of Education, the NCES gathers and analyzes statistical data on education in the United States, including enrollment, tuition, and graduation rates. NCES data is updated and published annually through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
Peterson’s, a private company, has collected higher education data for more than 50 years. By surveying thousands of colleges and universities throughout the year, Peterson’s provides comprehensive, up-to-date data on topics including degree offerings, graduate outcomes, and financial aid.
Exclusion Criteria
Psychology.org excludes schools lacking significant data to ensure accurate calculations. For example, schools that do not provide data on their average net price after aid are ineligible for inclusion in our affordability-focused rankings. Schools that do not provide all data points used in our methodology are ineligible for the top spot in our rankings.
Other factors that make a school ineligible for inclusion in Psychology.org’s rankings include:
- A graduation rate of less than 10%
- A retention rate of less than 10%
- A four-year completion rate for low-income students of less than 10%
- Failure to provide any of the above data to the NCES or Peterson’s
- Policies or practices focused on anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives, including Title IX exemption requests
How We Calculate Our Rankings
Psychology.org prioritizes four categories when ranking schools: academic quality, school reputation, affordability, and accessibility. To create our rankings, we weigh each of these factors according to the following:
Subfactors For Our Rankings
Psychology.org is committed to providing the most comprehensive psychology program rankings. To achieve this, we rely on multiple data points and subfactors in our rankings, including:
Subfactors for Academic Quality
- Retention Rate: This factor reflects the number of first-time students who remain enrolled after their first year of study. Higher retention rates can indicate high student satisfaction with a school or program.
- Graduation Rate: This factor measures the percentage of students who complete program requirements and receive their degree. Higher graduation rates can indicate an institution’s commitment to student support.
- Student-to-Faculty Ratio: This factor measures the number of students compared to the number of faculty members. Lower student-to-faculty ratios can indicate smaller class sizes and more opportunities for one-on-one interactions.
Subfactors for Affordability
- Net Costs with Grants or Scholarships: This factor measures what students pay on average for their education, minus any grants or scholarships received. This figure provides key insight into the real cost of a degree and an institution’s overall affordability.
- Percent Awarded Loans: This factor measures the percentage of students receiving loans and the average amount of federal loan aid awarded. Lower values for each figure can indicate affordability, with fewer students requiring large loans to pay for their education.
- Percent Awarded Financial Aid: This factor measures the percentage of students who receive any financial aid, including federal and private loans, grants, scholarships, work-study, tuition waivers, and assistantships. When compared to the percentage of students awarded loans, this figure can provide insight into how many students receive preferred aid like grants and scholarships.
- Post-Graduation Debt: This factor looks at both the median debt for graduates and the rate at which graduates default on their federal loans. More affordable institutions typically maintain lower values for each of these figures.
Subfactors for School Reputation
- Admission Rate: This percentage measures the number of applications accepted compared to the number of applications submitted. A lower admission rate can indicate that an institution has competitive admissions and a prestigious reputation among prospective students.
- Enrollment Rate: Also called the admissions yield, this percentage measures the number of accepted applicants compared to the number of new students who ultimately enroll. A higher enrollment rate can indicate that an institution is attractive to new students.
- Post-Graduation Earnings: This factor looks at the average earnings of graduates within six years of their initial enrollment. Higher earnings may indicate that an institution offers various career services, networking opportunities, or other advantages that lead to its students’ financial success.
Subfactors for Accessibility
- Online Degrees Offered: This factor counts the number of online programs offered at a specific level (i.e., bachelor’s, master’s, etc.). More available online degrees can indicate an institution’s commitment to diverse learning options and flexibility.
- Enrollment in Online Programs: This factor measures the percentage of an institution’s students enrolled online. This measurement can indicate how well an institution supports online learners in their educational journey.
