Top Psychology Graduate Universities

Stanford University

• Stanford University’s Department of Psychology is the No. 1 graduate program in the field, according to the 2009 “U.S. News & World Report” rankings of “Best Graduate Schools." The department offers five areas of study: affective science, developmental, cognitive, neuroscience and social psychology. The program is only for doctoral students; there is no terminal master’s degree program. Only 10 to 15 students are accepted each year. Stanford does not grant credit for graduate psychology classes taken at other schools. The GRE is required, and the psychology subject test is optional. Ph.D. students have full financial support through their fifth year and receive a living stipend and health insurance. Tuition is generally covered by teaching assistantships and fellowships.

  Department of Psychology
  Stanford University
  Jordan Hall, Building 420
  450 Serra Mall
  Stanford, CA 94305
  650-725-2400
  psychology.stanford.edu

University of California, Berkeley

• University of California, Berkeley, is the No. 2 ranked school on the “U.S. News & World Report” list. The highly selective program only accepts 4.3 percent of applicants. Only 26 students were offered admission for 2009-2010. Berkeley has five areas of study: behavioral neuroscience; clinical science; change, plasticity and development; cognition, brain and behavior; and social-personality. There is no terminal master’s degree, but students have the option of obtaining a Master of Arts degree as they work toward the Ph.D. Credits for graduate psychology classes taken at another institution are not accepted. The GRE is required, and the psychology subject test is optional. Complete financial aid is provided for five years of study.

  University of California, Berkeley
  Department of Psychology
  3210 Tolman Hall #1650
  Berkeley, CA 94720-1650
  510-642-1382
  psychology.berkeley.edu

Harvard University

• The nation’s oldest university has the third-ranking psychology graduate department, according to the 2009 “U.S. News & World Report” list. The school offers two tracks of study. The clinical science track must be selected when a student applies for admission. The second track offers a curriculum in several different areas of psychology, including behavioral neuroscience, developmental, cognition, experimental psychopathology, social and vision science. The GRE is required for admission, and the psychology subject test is optional. Students with a master’s degree in psychology from another university may be able to transfer some credit after a year of study at Harvard. Full financial aid is available for five years of study.

  Harvard University
  Department of Psychology
  William James Hall
  Cambridge, MA 02138
  617-495-3810
  harvard.edu