With nearly 40 million inhabitants, hundreds of large, populated city centers and one of highest mean annual wages in the nation, California offers a lot of career opportunities for aspiring psychologists. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists employed in California earn a mean annual wage of nearly $85,000, much higher than in most other areas of the nation. Most job opportunities for psychology professionals are found in the most densely populated regions of the state, including cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno, San Bernardino, Sacramento and the Bay Area.
Best of all, California has one of the largest higher education systems in the nation and is home to many of the top ranked psychology programs in nation. In fact, Stanford University (ranked #1 in the nation by US News & World Report), University of California–Berkeley (ranked #2), University of California – Los Angeles (ranked #3 in the nation) offer the top 3 ranked psychology programs in the nation, and they're all located in California. In total, there are nearly 160 accredited psychology programs in California, more than any other state.
Most colleges and universities have financial aid programs that can help students who are in need of financial assistance. In addition, there are several other sources of higher education financing including the Cal Grants program which is one of the first place you may want to look for help financing a degree in psychology. The Cal Grants program includes several scholarship programs designed to help aspiring students and psychologists.
Below you’ll find a comprehensive directory of California psychology schools, colleges, and universities offering accredited graduate and undergraduate degree programs in general psychology, clinical psychology, child psychology, school psychology, forensic psychology as well as several other psychology disciplines.
California Psychology Schools:
- Allan Hancock College – Santa Maria, CA
- Alliant International University – San Diego, CA
- American Jewish University – Los Angeles, CA
- American River College – Sacramento, CA
- Antioch University-Los Angeles Branch – Culver City, CA
- Antioch University-Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara, CA
- Argosy University – Alameda, CA / Los Angeles, CA / Orange, CA / San Bernardino, CA / San Diego, CA / Santa Ana, CA / Santa Monica, CA
- Azusa Pacific University – Azusa, CA
- Bakersfield College – Bakersfield, CA
- Biola University – La Mirada, CA
- Brandman University – Irvine, CA
- Cabrillo College – Aptos, CA
- California Baptist University – Riverside, CA
- California Institute of Integral Studies – San Francisco, CA
- California Lutheran University – Thousand Oaks, CA
- California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo, CA
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona – Pomona, CA
- California State University-Bakersfield – Bakersfield, CA
- California State University-Chico – Chico, CA
- California State University-Dominguez Hills – Carson, CA
- California State University-East Bay – Hayward, CA
- California State University-Fresno – Fresno, CA
- California State University-Fullerton – Fullerton, CA
- California State University-Long Beach – Long Beach, CA
- California State University-Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA
- California State University-Monterey Bay – Seaside, CA
- California State University-Northridge – Northridge, CA
- California State University-Sacramento – Sacramento, CA
- California State University-San Bernardino – San Bernardino, CA
- California State University-San Marcos – San Marcos, CA
- California State University-Stanislaus – Turlock, CA
- Canada College – Redwood City, CA
- Cerritos College – Norwalk, CA
- Chaffey College – Rancho Cucamonga, CA
- Chapman University – Orange, CA
- Claremont Graduate University – Claremont, CA
- Claremont McKenna College – Claremont, CA
- Coastline Community College – Fountain Valley, CA
- College of Alameda – Alameda, CA
- College of Marin – Kentfield, CA
- College of the Canyons – Santa Clarita, CA
- College of the Siskiyous – Weed, CA
- Concordia University-Irvine – Irvine, CA
- Contra Costa College – San Pablo, CA
- Copper Mountain College – Joshua Tree, CA
- Crafton Hills College – Yucaipa, CA
- Cuesta College – San Luis Obispo, CA
- Cypress College – Cypress, CA
- Dominican University of California – San Rafael, CA
- El Camino College-Compton Center – Compton, CA
- El Camino Community College – Compton, CA
- El Camino Community College – Torrance, CA
- Evergreen Valley College – San Jose, CA
- Fielding Graduate University – Santa Barbara, CA
- Folsom Lake College – Folsom, CA
- Foothill College – Los Altos Hills, CA
- Fresno Pacific University – Fresno, CA
- Fuller Theological Seminary in California – Pasadena, CA
- Fullerton College – Fullerton, CA
- Golden Gate University-San Francisco – San Francisco, CA
- Hartnell College – Salinas, CA
- Harvey Mudd College – Claremont, CA
- Holy Names University – Oakland, CA
- Hope International University – Fullerton, CA
- Humboldt State University – Arcata, CA
- Imperial Valley College – Imperial, CA
- Institute of Transpersonal Psychology – Palo Alto, CA
- Irvine Valley College – Irvine, CA
- John F Kennedy University – Pleasant Hill, CA
- La Sierra University – Riverside, CA
- Lake Tahoe Community College – South Lake Tahoe, CA
- Las Positas College – Livermore, CA
- Loma Linda University – Loma Linda, CA
- Los Angeles Mission College – Sylmar, CA
- Los Angeles Southwest College – Los Angeles, CA
- Los Angeles Valley College – Valley Glen, CA
- Loyola Marymount University – Los Angeles, CA
- Mendocino College – Ukiah, CA
- Merced College – Merced, CA
- Mills College – Oakland, CA
- MiraCosta College – Oceanside, CA
- Mission College – Santa Clara, CA
- Monterey Peninsula College – Monterey, CA
- Moorpark College – Moorpark, CA
- Mount Saint Mary's College – Los Angeles, CA
- National University – La Jolla, CA
- Notre Dame de Namur University – Belmont, CA
- Occidental College – Los Angeles, CA
- Orange Coast College – Costa Mesa, CA
- Oxnard College – Oxnard, CA
- Pacific Union College – Angwin, CA
- Pacifica Graduate Institute – Carpinteria, CA
- Palo Alto University – Redwood City, CA
- Palomar College – San Marcos, CA
- Pepperdine University – Malibu, CA
- Phillips Graduate Institute – Encino, CA
- Pierce College – Woodland Hills, CA
- Pitzer College – Claremont, CA
- Point Loma Nazarene University – San Diego, CA
- Pomona College – Claremont, CA
- Sacramento City College – Sacramento, CA
- Saddleback College – Mission Viejo, CA
- Saint Mary's College of California – Moraga, CA
- San Diego Christian College – El Cajon, CA
- San Diego City College – San Diego, CA
- San Diego Mesa College – San Diego, CA
- San Diego Miramar College – San Diego, CA
- San Diego State University – San Diego, CA
- San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus – Calexico, CA
- San Francisco State University – San Francisco, CA
- San Jose City College – San Jose, CA
- San Jose State University – San Jose, CA
- Santa Ana College – Santa Ana, CA
- Santa Barbara City College – Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Clara University – Santa Clara, CA
- Santa Rosa Junior College – Santa Rosa, CA
- Santiago Canyon College – Orange, CA
- Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center – San Francisco, CA
- Scripps College – Claremont, CA
- Shasta College – Redding, CA
- Sierra College – Rocklin, CA
- Simpson University – Redding, CA
- Skyline College – San Bruno, CA
- Solano Community College – Fairfield, CA
- Southern California Seminary – El Cajon, CA
- Southwestern College – Chula Vista, CA
- Stanford University – Stanford, CA
- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology – Los Angeles, CA
- The Wright Institute – Berkeley, CA
- University of California Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA
- University of California-Berkeley – Berkeley, CA
- University of California-Davis – Davis, CA
- University of California-Irvine – Irvine, CA
- University of California-Merced – Merced, CA
- University of California-Riverside – Riverside, CA
- University of California-San Diego – La Jolla, CA
- University of California-Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara, CA
- University of California-Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz, CA
- University of La Verne – La Verne, CA
- University of Phoenix – Costa Mesa, CA / Fresno, CA / Pleasanton, CA / Sacramento, CA / San Diego, CA
- University of Redlands – Redlands, CA
- University of San Diego – San Diego, CA
- University of San Francisco – San Francisco, CA
- University of Southern California – Los Angeles, CA
- University of the Pacific – Stockton, CA
- Vanguard University of Southern California – Costa Mesa, CA
- West Hills Community College District – Coalinga, CA / Lemoore, CA
- West Los Angeles College – Culver City, CA
- West Valley College – Saratoga, CA
- Westmont College – Santa Barbara, CA
- Whittier College – Whittier, CA
- William Jessup University – Rocklin, CA
- Woodbury University – Burbank, CA
- Yuba Community College District – Marysville, CA / Woodland, CA
Featured Psychology Programs
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |