Best Psychology, General Schools in California

California has 70 colleges offering Psychology, General programs tracked by the College Scorecard, producing 11,475 recent graduates. Graduates earn $29,646 on average within two years, roughly in line with the national average of $29,183.

School choice matters significantly: Santa Clara University graduates earn $31,133 while Scripps College graduates earn $18,771 — a $12,362 gap. Research each program's curriculum, employer connections, and career services before deciding.

Schools in CA

$29,646

CA Avg. Earnings

$29,183

National Avg.

1179

Schools Nationally

Public vs Private: Psychology, General in California

Public Schools (29)

$29,230

avg. 2yr earnings

Private Schools (36)

$29,815

avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $585 more in early earnings on average, but typically cost more. Compare net price to determine which offers better ROI.

Psychology, General Schools in California, Ranked by Earnings

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

$31,133

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $50,081

Graduates: 57

Acceptance: 43.8%

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA · Private

$29,685

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $35,181

Graduates: 62

Acceptance: 46.8%

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$35,594

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,924

Graduates: 114

Acceptance: 10.0%

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA · Private

$26,739

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,907

Graduates: 29

Acceptance: 88.6%

National University

San Diego, CA · Private

$39,969

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $36,571

Graduates: 110

Acceptance: N/A

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA · Private

$35,653

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,146

Graduates: 125

Acceptance: 50.8%

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA · Private

$26,558

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,748

Graduates: 160

Acceptance: 79.5%

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA · Private

$30,228

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,420

Graduates: 28

Acceptance: N/A

Chapman University

Orange, CA · Private

$32,284

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,026

Graduates: 60

Acceptance: 55.6%

#10

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$40,896

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $39,365

Graduates: 170

Acceptance: 11.7%

#11

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA · Private

$33,993

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,424

Graduates: 56

Acceptance: 49.9%

#12

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, CA · Private

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $40,581

Graduates: 22

Acceptance: 95.6%

#13

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA · Private

$27,753

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $27,214

Graduates: 104

Acceptance: 73.6%

#14

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$31,563

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,127

Graduates: 462

Acceptance: 8.7%

#15

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$28,327

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,351

Graduates: 85

Acceptance: 40.3%

#16

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$31,673

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,831

Graduates: 91

Acceptance: 29.8%

#17

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA · Public

$28,393

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $27,446

Graduates: 430

Acceptance: 62.5%

#18

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA · Private

$29,033

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,005

Graduates: 73

Acceptance: 88.9%

#19

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA · Public

$33,726

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,692

Graduates: 78

Acceptance: N/A

#20

Whittier College

Whittier, CA · Private

$21,508

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $27,562

Graduates: 35

Acceptance: 85.4%

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA · Public

$31,133

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,931

Graduates: 146

Acceptance: 94.7%

#22

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA · Private

$29,250

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,811

Graduates: 95

Acceptance: 48.5%

#23

Simpson University

Redding, CA · Private

$31,765

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,149

Graduates: 75

Acceptance: 99.0%

#24

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$30,047

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,916

Graduates: 29

Acceptance: 39.9%

#25

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA · Public

$24,240

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,714

Graduates: 192

Acceptance: 25.6%

#26

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$34,135

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,678

Graduates: 314

Acceptance: 96.2%

#27

University of Redlands

Redlands, CA · Private

$32,569

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $20,777

Graduates: 39

Acceptance: 80.9%

#28

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA · Public

$28,055

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,075

Graduates: 168

Acceptance: 95.7%

#29

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

$37,640

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $36,306

Graduates: 296

Acceptance: 96.8%

#30

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA · Public

$28,895

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,861

Graduates: 293

Acceptance: 94.8%

#31

The Chicago School at Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Private

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $35,500

Graduates: 17

Acceptance: 40.2%

#32

The Chicago School at San Diego

San Diego, CA · Private

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $35,500

Graduates: 17

Acceptance: 100.0%

#33

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA · Public

$30,864

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,717

Graduates: 445

Acceptance: 93.6%

#34

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA · Public

$28,697

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,722

Graduates: 262

Acceptance: 39.2%

#35

Menlo College

Atherton, CA · Private

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,347

Graduates: 19

Acceptance: 67.8%

#36

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA · Public

$27,106

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,178

Graduates: 375

Acceptance: 91.3%

#37

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA · Private

$25,967

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,929

Graduates: 38

Acceptance: 57.5%

#38

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA · Public

$28,294

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $26,025

Graduates: 285

Acceptance: 93.7%

#39

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA · Private

$21,781

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,472

Graduates: 42

Acceptance: 94.9%

#40

Antioch University-Los Angeles

Culver City, CA ·

N/A

2yr Earnings

Acceptance: N/A

#41

Antioch University-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA ·

N/A

2yr Earnings

Acceptance: N/A

#42

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA · Public

$30,771

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,185

Graduates: 146

Acceptance: 24.5%

#43

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA · Public

$29,685

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $27,870

Graduates: 693

Acceptance: 86.7%

#44

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA · Public

$23,359

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,024

Graduates: 317

Acceptance: 96.4%

#45

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Public

$24,112

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,695

Graduates: 524

Acceptance: 34.4%

#46

William Jessup University

Rocklin, CA · Private

$36,398

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,472

Graduates: 68

Acceptance: 76.8%

#47

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA · Public

$28,055

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,974

Graduates: 299

Acceptance: 97.5%

#48

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · Public

$26,507

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $27,524

Graduates: 876

Acceptance: 93.2%

#49

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA · Public

$26,710

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,593

Graduates: 166

Acceptance: 73.7%

#50

Concordia University-Irvine

Irvine, CA · Private

$28,055

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,587

Graduates: 24

Acceptance: 59.9%

#51

Biola University

La Mirada, CA · Private

$27,091

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,427

Graduates: 79

Acceptance: 60.1%

#52

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA · Private

$28,019

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,179

Graduates: 17

Acceptance: 93.3%

#53

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA · Public

$28,671

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,911

Graduates: 70

Acceptance: 88.2%

#54

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public

$28,787

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $26,891

Graduates: 521

Acceptance: 47.1%

#55

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA · Public

$28,707

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,914

Graduates: 330

Acceptance: 93.1%

#56

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA · Public

$25,918

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,179

Graduates: 558

Acceptance: 98.3%

#57

Ashford University

San Diego, CA ·

$31,986

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,482

Graduates: 531

Acceptance: N/A

#58

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA · Private

$28,960

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,534

Graduates: 37

Acceptance: 64.7%

#59

Hope International University

Fullerton, CA · Private

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA · Private

$30,228

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,647

Graduates: 42

Acceptance: 81.8%

#61

Touro University Worldwide

Los Alamitos, CA ·

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,614

Graduates: 18

Acceptance: N/A

#62

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, CA · Public

$23,224

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,108

Graduates: 192

Acceptance: 98.8%

#63

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA · Private

$25,596

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,369

Graduates: 25

Acceptance: 79.9%

#64

Stanford University

Stanford, CA · Private

$40,368

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $51,407

Graduates: 38

Acceptance: 3.9%

#65

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA · Private

$35,594

2yr Earnings

Acceptance: 16.5%

#66

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA ·

$33,993

2yr Earnings

Acceptance: N/A

#67

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public

$33,604

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,851

Graduates: 196

Acceptance: 80.2%

#68

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA · Public

$24,250

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,584

Graduates: 169

Acceptance: 63.3%

#69

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$22,871

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,589

Graduates: 41

Acceptance: 68.7%

#70

Scripps College

Claremont, CA · Private

$18,771

2yr Earnings

Acceptance: 33.9%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Psychology, General in California?

Santa Clara University ranks #1 for Psychology, General in California with median graduate earnings of $31,133 within two years of graduation. There are 70 schools offering Psychology, General programs in the state.

How much do Psychology, General graduates earn in California?

Psychology, General graduates in California earn an average of $29,646 within two years of graduation. This is 2% above the national average of $29,183 for this major.

What is the hardest Psychology, General school to get into in California?

Stanford University is the most selective Psychology, General program in California with an acceptance rate of 3.9%. The average acceptance rate across Psychology, General programs in the state is 66.5%.

Should I attend a public or private school for Psychology, General in California?

In California, private Psychology, General programs produce average earnings of $29,815 vs $29,230 at public schools. However, public schools typically cost less — consider net price relative to earnings when calculating ROI. There are 29 public and 36 private options in the state.

Other Popular Majors in California

Construction Management $81,700 Construction Engineering $81,610 Construction Engineering Technologies $76,343 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions $75,984 Computer Science $72,889 Computer Engineering $72,447 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions $71,074 Computer and Information Sciences, General $68,388

All colleges in California →

Psychology, General in Other States

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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release.