Top Social Psychology Programs

Ohio State University offers one of the top training programs in Social Psychology internationally. The program is tied for 2nd with Stanford in the US News Graduate School Rankings. In this program, students will receive broad exposure to the theories and methods of social psychology and acquire expertise in one or more specialty areas such as affect, attitude change, social cognition, attribution, automaticity interpersonal processes, and intergroup relations. Students are expected to develop skills in conceptual analysis of social behavior and social problems, research design, scholarly writing, data analysis, teaching, editorial reviewing and oral communication.

Yale is in the top 4 nationally for the specialty. The Social/Personality Psychology program at Yale University has focused on advancing both basic knowledge about intrapersonal and interpersonal processes. The program was concerned primarily with persuasion and attitude change.

UCLA's Psychology Department has developed leading programs in health and political psychology that are well integrated with the social psychology program. The social program also maintains close connections with the Institute for Social Science Research, the International Center for Talent Development, and UCLA's Schools of Education, Public Health, Nursing, etc.

Princeton University is rated 7th nationally for the specialty. The social program provides students with courses and research training across a broad range of areas within social psychology. Upon enrolling the program students become involved in a variety of research projects.

Ranking of Top Social Psychology Programs (Graduate):
1 University of Michigan Ann Arbor-
2 The Ohio State University,Columbus
=Stanford University
4 Yale University
5 Harvard University
6 University of California Los Angeles
7 Princeton University
8 University of California Berkeley
9 New York University
10 University of Virginia

Source: US News & World Report (2010)

Top Universities in Neurosciences (US)

NRC Rankings of Top Universities in Neurosciences:

1 Cal San Diego 4.82
2 Yale 4.76
3 Harvard 4.73
4 Cal San Francisco 4.66
5 Stanford 4.64
6 Columbia 4.58
7 Johns Hopkins 4.47
8 Washington (St. Louis) 4.43
9 Cal Berkeley 4.32
10 Penn 4.30
11 Cal Tech 4.30
12 Washington 4.28
13 Rockefeller 4.23
14 MIT 4.21
15 UCLA 3.91
16 Duke 3.83
17 Case Western 3.83
18 Michigan 3.79
19 Brandeis 3.75
20 Baylor College of Medicine 3.75
21 Cal Irvine 3.72
22 Chicago 3.63
23 Northwestern 3.60
24 Cornell 3.59
25 Wisconsin 3.58
26 North Carolina 3.57
27 Albert Einstein College of Med 3.57
28 SUNY Stony Brook 3.54
29 Vanderbilt 3.49
30 Virginia 3.46
31 Oregon 3.46
32 Iowa 3.46
33 Emory 3.45
34 Minnesota 3.43
35 Mayo Graduate School 3.42
36 Texas Southwestern Med Ctr 3.41
37 Southern Cal 3.41
38 Colorado 3.40
39 Pittsburgh 3.36
40 Illinois 3.33
41 Texas Medical Galveston 3.31
42 Rochester 3.30
43 Colorado State 3.25
44 Rutgers 3.22
45 Arizona 3.20
46 Connecticut 3.14
47 Texas 3.08
48 Georgetown 3.08
49 Texas Health Sci Ctr Houston 3.05
50 Medical College of Pensylvania 3.04
51 Tennessee Memphis 3.03
52 Brown 2.98
53 Ohio State 2.97
54 NYU 2.96
55 Rutgers Newark 2.93
56 Tufts 2.88
57 Florida 2.84
58 Massachusetts 2.80
59 Wake Forest 2.79
60 Florida State 2.70
61 Michigan State 2.64
62 Hahnemann 2.64
63 SUNY Buffalo 2.51
64 Penn State 2.50
65 Wayne State 2.47
66 SUNY Health Brooklyn 2.47
67 CUNY 2.43
68 Syracuse 2.38
69 Purdue 2.31
70 Uniformed Services U of Hlth Sci 2.23
71 SUNY Albany 2.21
72 Miami 2.14
73 New Mexico 2.08
74 Albany Medical College 2.08
75 Kent State 2.03
76 George Washington 2.00
77 Oregon State 1.96
78 Oklahoma 1.93
79 Missouri 1.92
80 Medical College of Ohio 1.86
81 Ohio 1.77
82 Louisville 1.69
83 LSU 1.47
84 Georgia State 1.45
85 Wyoming 1.42
86 East Carolina Medicine 1.21
87 Loma Linda 1.17
88 Montana State 1.04
89 Kansas State 0.91
90 Cal Santa Cruz 0.89
91 Cal Santa Barbara 0.84
92 Texas WomanҀs 0.72
93 Clark 0.72
94 Boston Univ 0.67
95 Idaho 0.59
96 Puerto Rico Rio Piedras 0.58
97 Northern Arizona 0.48
98 Miami 0.39

Source: National Research Council 2007

Developmental Psychology Rankings

Yale is placed in the top 3 nationally for the specialty. The Developmental program offers advanced training in understanding children of all ages. Topics of special interest include infancy, adolescence, applications of developmental psychology to education, cognitive development, developmental psychopathology, language and thought, social policy, intelligence, and children in other cultures.

University of Virginia is tied for 4th with UC Berkeley for the specialty. Virginia's graduate students may concentrate their studies in Developmental Psychology or may combine with other areas to meet their specific research interests. The developmental concentration offers a wide variety of research possibilities.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is placed 10th among the best programs offering developmental training. Admission to the graduate programs is highly competitive, only a small proportion of the applicants to a program can be accepted.

The University of Chicago has long been a pioneer in the field of developmental science. It is placed 13th for the specialty. The Developmental Psychology Program provides a rich environment for scientific inquiry, training, and mentorship.

Ranking of Developmental Psychology Programs (Graduate):
1 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
2 University of Michigan Ann Arbor
3 Yale University
4 University of California Berkeley
=University of Virginia
6 Harvard University
7 Stanford University
=University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
=University of Wisconsin Madison
10 University of California Los Angeles
=The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Top Cognitive Psychology Programs

Stanford University is ranked top for cognitive psychology in the US, followed by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in second place. The Department of Psychology at CMU offers training program leading to the Ph.D. degree. The faculty include many of the leading researchers in cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and social-personality psychology. The graduate program in cognitive psychology involves the analysis of the functional and neural mechanisms underlying cognition using a variety of methodologies, populations and computational formalisms.

University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign is rated 7th nationally for the specialty. Members of the Cognitive Division have research programs focused on human memory, cognitive aging, categorization, language processing, reasoning, and computational modeling.

Yale is rated 8th nationally for the specialty. The program in Cognitive Psychology is concerned with research in perception, human learning and memory, thinking and problem solving, consciousness, language, and intelligence, as well as with applications of this basic research to everyday settings.

Northwestern University is placed 15th for the specialty. The major purpose of the graduate training program in Cognitive Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern is to train skilled research professionals and teachers.

Ranking of Top Cognitive Psychology Programs (Graduate):

1 Stanford University
2 Carnegie Mellon University
3 Harvard University
=University of California San Diego
5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
=University of Michigan Ann Arbor-
7 University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
8 Yale University
9 University of California Berkeley
=Washington University in St Louis
=University of California Los Angeles

Best Clinical Psychology Programs (US)

A graduate degree in Clinical Psychology can lead to a career in social work, sociology, mental health, or counseling. Three universities are ranked joint top in the US for theirclinical psychology programs, according to the US News rankings, with the other two leading universities (UC Berkeley and U of Minnesota Twin Cities) made up the rest of the top 5.

The UCLA Department of Psychology offers Ph.D. training with area emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive, Developmental, Health Psychology, Learning and Behavior, Quantitative, and Social Psychology.
Best Graduate Schools in Clinical Psychology:

1. University of CaliforniaրLos Angeles
1. University of Washington
1. University of WisconsinրMadison
4. University of CaliforniaրBerkeley
4. University of MinnesotaրTwin Cities
6. Indiana UniversityրBloomington
6. University of North CarolinaրChapel Hill
6. Yale University
9. Duke University
9. Pennsylvania State UniversityրUniversity Park
9. SUNYրStony Brook
9. University of IllinoisրUrbana-Champaign
9. University of Iowa
9. University of Pennsylvania
9. University of Pittsburgh
16. University of Kansas (Clinical Child Psychology Program)
16. University of Southern California
16. University of TexasրAustin
16. University of Virginia
16. Vanderbilt University
16. Washington University in St. Louis
22. Arizona State University
22. Northwestern University
22. University of Arizona
25. Emory University
25. San Diego State University/University of CaliforniaրSan Diego
25. University of Florida
25. University of Kansas
25. University of Miami
25. University of MichiganրAnn Arbor
25. University of MissouriրColumbia
25. University of Oregon
33. Boston University
33. Ohio State University
33. Temple University
33. University of ColoradoրBoulder
33. University of Georgia
33. University of Kentucky
33. University of MarylandրCollege Park
33. Virginia Tech
33. West Virginia University
42. Michigan State University
43. Florida State University
43. Purdue UniversityրWest Lafayette
43. Rutgers, the State University of New JerseyրNew Brunswick
43. SUNYրAlbany
43. University at BuffaloրSUNY
43. University of NevadaրReno
43. University of Rochester
50. Northwestern University Medical School
50. University of AlabamaրBirmingham
50. University of Delaware
50. University of IllinoisրChicago
50. University of MassachusettsրAmherst
50. University of NebraskaրLincoln
50. University of Vermont
57. Rutgers, the State University of New JerseyրNew Brunswick
57. University of Denver
57. University of South Florida
57. University of Utah
57. Virginia Commonwealth University
62. Case Western Reserve University
62. Louisiana State UniversityրBaton Rouge
62. Syracuse University
62. Teachers College, Columbia University
62. University of Alabama
62. University of Connecticut
62. University of North CarolinaրGreensboro
62. University of WisconsinրMilwaukee
62. Washington State University
71. Binghamton University
71. George Mason University
71. Georgia State University
71. Loyola University Chicago
71. Ohio University
71. Texas A&M UniversityրCollege Station
71. University of MarylandրBaltimore County
71. University of Memphis
71. University of New Mexico
71. University of South CarolinaրColumbia
71. University of TennesseeրKnoxville
71. University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterրDallas
83. Auburn University
83. Baylor University
83. DePaul University
83. Kent State University
83. University of Louisville
83. University of MaineրOrono
83. University of MassachusettsրBoston
83. University of Mississippi
83. Wayne State University
92. Indiana University-Purdue UniversityրIndianapolis
92. Oklahoma State University
92. St. Louis University
92. Texas Tech University
92. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
92. University of HawaiiրManoa
92. University of Houston
99. American University
99. Bowling Green State University
99. Catholic University of America
99. Clark University
99. Marquette University
99. Miami UniversityրOxford
99. Northern Illinois University
99. Southern Illinois UniversityրCarbondale
99. University of NevadaրLas Vegas
99. University of North Texas/University of North Texas Health Sciences Center
99. U of Rhode Island
110. Brigham Young UniրProvo
110. George Washington Univ
110. U of ArkansasրFayetteville
110. U of MissouriրSt. Louis
110. U of North Dakota
110. U of Wyoming
116. Central Michigan Univ
116. Drexel Univ
116. Fordham Univ
116. Illinois Institute of Technology
116. Indiana State Univ
116. St. JohnҀs Univ
116. U of Cincinnati
116. U of MissouriրKansas City
116. U of Montana
116. U of North Texas
116. U of South Dakota
116. U of Tulsa
116. U of Virginia (Curry)
116. Wright State Univ
116. Yeshiva Univ (Ferkauf)
131. CUNYրCity College
131. Eastern Michigan University
131. U of Toledo
131. Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology
131. Western Michigan Univ

Top 10 Universities for Psychology

The Department of Psychology at University of York (UK) is placed firmly in the top 10 in the UK for psychology in three University Guides for 2011: ranked 7th in The Independent, 7th in The Guardian University Guide, and 5th in The Times newspapers. A total of 95% of its research activity was judged to be of international quality, placing the Department in the top 10 of the 76 Psychology departments entered into the RAE. It has also received top marks (24/24) for teaching quality in the Subject Review carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency.

The Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway (University of London) was ranked 7th (out of 75) amongst the very best Departments in the RAE 2008 according to the ranking compiled by the Guardian and Times.

Top 10 UK Universities for Psychology:
1 UCL
2 Cambridge
3 St Andrews
4 Oxford
5 Bristol
6 Bath
7 York
8 Stirling
9 Exeter
10 Royal Holloway
Source: Guardian 2011

In the United States, U.S. News & World Report has produced a ranking of the Best Graduate Schools in Psychology:
League Table 2010 (Top 10 list):
1 Stanford University
1 University of California--Berkeley
3 Harvard University
3 University of California--Los Angeles
3 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
3 Yale University
7 University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign
8 Princeton University
8 University of Minnesota--Twin Cities
8 University of Wisconsin--Madison

Psychology School Rankings (US)

Stanford and UC Berkeley are ranked joint top in the US for their graduate psychology programs.

The Department of Psychology at Stanford University offers a Ph.D in Psychology with areas of study in Cognitive, Developmental, Neuroscience, Personality, and Social Psychology.
Address: Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Jordan Hall, Building 01-420, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305

UC-Berkeley's Psychology department is tied for #1 in the nation. It offers graduate training in five units: Behavioral Neuroscience; Change, Plasticity & Development; Clinical Science; Cognition, Brain & Behavior; and Social-Personality. The clinical science program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Address: UC-Berkeley Psychology Department, 3210 Tolman Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Best Graduate Schools in Psychology:
1 Stanford University Stanford, CA
1 University of California--Berkeley Berkeley, CA
3 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
3 University of California--Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
3 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
3 Yale University New Haven, CT
7 University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL
8 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
8 University of Minnesota--Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
8 University of Wisconsin--Madison Madison, WI
11 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
11 U of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
13 U of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
13 U of Texas--Austin Austin, TX
13 U of Washington Seattle, WA
13 Washington Univ in St. Louis St. Louis, MO
17 Carnegie Mellon Univ Pittsburgh, PA
17 Columbia Univ New York , NY
17 Cornell Uni Ithaca, NY
17 Northwestern Uni Evanston, IL
17 Ohio State Univ Columbus, OH
17 Univ of California--San Diego La Jolla, CA

Source: US News & World Report 2010