by our College Data Analytics TeamGeneral Psychology will allow you to explore the way humans and animals respond and interact to their circumstances and environment. This major involves the study of human and animal behavior through scientific research. Your coursework will help you understand the inner workings of a person including personality types, how we learn language, inherited traits, what role environment plays in development and more.
Classes that you can expect when majoring in General Psychology include: abnormal psychology, sensation and perception, research methods, cognition, personality, learning, social psychology, general psychology, developmental psychology, and neuroscience.
General Psychology was the 4th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 141,695 degrees in this year alone. This is a difference of 7,369 over the prior year, a growth of 5.2%.
Our 2023 Best General Psychology Schools ranking analyzes 965 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for general psychology students. Explore this or one of our many other custom psychology rankings further below.
General Psychology requires a great deal of memorization as you learn specific terminology and theories. A sense of curiosity will help you investigate and understand behavior and genetics. Students should be adaptable and work well with others. This major requires a lot of group work and interaction with people from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to people skills, you should also be comfortable working with numbers and performing scientific experiments. Learn to quickly extract important information from readings and data. Problem solving skills will help you work through difficult labs, as well as apply theories and strategies to life situations.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional psychology certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are many different psychology degree levels. You can get anything from a in general psychology to the highest psychology degree, a . Different general psychology degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to psychology, with approximately 26.9% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to psychology tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 26.1% |
| Master’s Degree | 25.4% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 20.2% |
| Doctoral Degree | 15.9% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 5.6% |
About 69.2% of workers in careers related to psychology obtain at least master's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in general psychology have received.
The education level required is different depending on the psychology career you are seeking.
Students interested in becoming a clinical, counseling, or research psychologist will need a doctoral degree. You will need to obtain a master's degree to become a school psychologist. Psychology graduates who don't wish to continue their education can also find jobs in social work, marketing, human resources, advertising or public health programs.
Want a job when you graduate with your psychology degree? General Psychology careers are expected to grow 9.1% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general psychology.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1,071,700 | 8.0% |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | 168,500 | 14.2% |
| Psychology Professors | 54,000 | 15.1% |
| Psychologists | 19,200 | 10.3% |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | 1,800 | 5.9% |
General Psychology graduates between 2017-2019 reported earning an average of $30,349 in the 2019-2020 timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $10,969 to as high as $87,308. As you might expect, salaries for psychology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for general psychology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers psychology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Managers | $115,590 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $109,030 |
| Psychologists | $95,610 |
| Psychology Professors | $88,490 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | $85,340 |
With over 2,924 different psychology degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased psychology school rankings to help you with this.
General Psychology is one of 3 different types of Psychology programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology | 33,758 |
| Child Development & Psychology | 17,542 |
| Other Psychology | 2,683 |
