Psychology in the United States is a field that has garnered significant interest among Vietnamese students, despite its relatively stringent requirements. The U.S. is known for offering some of the most diverse and high-quality psychology programs in the world. Students here have the opportunity to experience real-world environments, engage in research, work alongside experts, and have excellent career prospects in the future. Below are the TOP 5 best universities for psychology research in the U.S. in 2021 (according to QS World University Rankings):
Harvard has an incredible and noteworthy history in the field of psychology. The school has been at the forefront of psychology since the late 1800s when it introduced the first psychology programs under the direction of William James, the father of psychology in the United States. In recent years, Harvard’s psychology program has been home to some of the most famous and innovative psychology researchers, including Gordan Allport, George Miller, Jerome Bruner, and B.F. Skinner.
Today, Harvard’s graduate psychology department has 30 full-time faculty members dedicated to the field of psychology and the success of their students. Harvard’s psychology program consistently ranks among the top 10 programs nationwide, largely thanks to its exceptional faculty. Harvard’s psychology program is not only one of the top-ranked programs in the nation by US News & World Report, but it is also ranked number 1 nationwide for academic productivity by The Chronicles of Higher Education.
The graduate psychology program at Harvard has an annual enrollment of approximately 65 students. The programs focus on researching five main areas of psychology: Developmental; Social; Cognition, Brain, & Behavior; and Organizational Behavior.
The Department of Psychology at Stanford University is one of the first departments established at the school.
Stanford offers both undergraduate and graduate programs, with an emphasis on research training. The departments and research areas are divided into five groups: Affective Science, Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Social Psychology.
The department has close ties with many other departments at Stanford, such as biology, law, medicine, and business. This aims to enhance participation in various interdisciplinary programs on campus.
3. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
In 1921-2, in line with the nationwide trend of educational development, the Department of Psychology at Berkeley was established as a separate unit, emerging from the Department of Philosophy. For nearly a century, the department has led the nation and the world in psychological research and provided superior educational programs to both undergraduate and graduate students. The UC-Berkeley psychology program is considered one of the best in the country, primarily focusing on enhancing methodology and analytical thinking.
The Department of Psychology at Berkeley encompasses six diverse research areas: Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Clinical Science, Cognition, Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental, and Social-Personality Psychology. However, Psychology is a capped major at UC Berkeley, meaning the school has extremely stringent requirements during the student admissions process for this program.
4. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
In the most recent College Factual rankings of the best schools for psychology majors, UCLA ranked 12th. This places the school in the top 5% nationwide in this field of study. The University of California – Los Angeles is also ranked number 1 in the state of California. UCLA offers a Bachelor’s program in Psychology for students interested in understanding human behavior and participating in psychological theory research.
Psychology majors at UCLA who graduate with a bachelor’s degree typically go on to work with an average starting salary of $30,000 a year. This is higher than the national average of $27,900 for all psychology bachelor’s degree holders.
The Department of Psychiatry at Yale University is one of the world’s leading institutions for patient care, research, and education. It led all U.S. medical schools in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for psychiatric research in 2017. Yale’s faculty and researchers continue to make new discoveries that change the understanding and treatment of mental illness and addiction.
The main research areas of the Psychology department at Yale University include clinical psychology, neuroscience, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology.
