Best College Psychology Programs

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates enrolls about 2,000 degree-seeking students.

Learners can only declare the psychology major as sophomores. The major comprises 11 courses. Enrollees apply classroom knowledge in laboratory settings.

The curriculum features core courses in the principles of psychology, statistics, and research methods. Foundational coursework covers the biology of neuroscience and the nature of helping relationships.

Students customize the major with course options such as sensation and perception, animal learning, and positive psychology. Participants can study computational or affective neuroscience. The psychology bachelor's program culminates with a thesis.

Admission to Bates requires high school transcripts and teacher recommendations. Applicants can submit SAT or ACT scores to strengthen their application.

Davidson students choose from 31 majors. One of the best colleges for psychology, the North Carolina institution offers a psychology major that explores the processes underlying human and animal behavior. Students declare the major by the fall semester of their junior year. The 10 major courses explore topics including research design and statistics.

Students choose at least one course in each of three areas. Enrollees can pursue training in subfields including cultural psychology, child psychopathology, and industrial-organization psychology. Students take at least one seminar in a field such as gender and psychopathology.

Seniors complete a thesis or a capstone course. Learners who plan to attend graduate school typically choose the thesis option. Seniors also complete an oral interview with a psychologist outside the department. Applicants to Davidson need a high school diploma and college-prep coursework.

Amherst enrolls nearly 2,000 students on its Massachusetts campus. The school offers 42 majors in the arts, humanities, natural, and social sciences. The psychology major provides training in biological psychology; social, personality, and abnormal psychology; and cognitive and developmental psychology.

Students choose from courses on topics such as clinical, social, and cognitive psychology. The customizable curriculum features required seminars, each with 15-18 students. Seminars explore issues such as psychotherapy or personality and political leadership.

Enrollees further customize the major through electives in topics such as race relations, health psychology, and sports psychology. Psychology students can choose a second major or study abroad.

One of the best colleges for psych majors, Amherst boasts a 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. Applicants need a high school diploma or the equivalent.

Located 30 miles from Los Angeles, CMC is part of a seven-school consortium. Students take classes and participate in activities with 7,000 peers at sister institutions. Students in CMC's psychology program learn to apply scientific theories and methods to daily life.

Psychology majors complete 10 courses and typically begin with an introduction to the field. Enrollees choose one course from each of three clusters exploring psychology subfields. Course topics include psychological disorders and sensation and perception. A neuropsychology course examines the psychological functions of various parts of the brain.

Participants further customize the degree with three elective courses. The applied curriculum provides hands-on experience through lab work. Learners conduct research in areas such as autism and cognitive neuroscience. Some labs offer paid internships and research assistantships during summer months. Admission to CMC, one of the best colleges for psych majors, requires a high school diploma and school transcripts.

A private liberal arts school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Williams offers various bachelor of arts programs. Psychology is the sixth most popular major at Williams, one of the best colleges for psychology. The psychology major requires coursework in experimentation and statistics.

Participants build on foundational knowledge during elective courses exploring psychology subfields. Students can learn about psychological disorders or the psychology of education. During seminars and labs, enrollees can conduct original research or work in applied settings.

Psychology degree-seekers can pursue a double major or a concentration. Students can work in faculty members' research labs. Enrollees can choose to complete a year-long research project culminating in a thesis.

Students benefit from the college's 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. About 125 student organizations offer extracurricular activities. Admission to Williams requires high school transcripts and teacher and counselor recommendations.