UnisHub University Compass

Applied Psychology: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Applied Psychology equips students with the knowledge and skills to implement psychological principles in practical, real-world environments across diverse sectors. This interdisciplinary program emphasizes evidence-based strategies to address complex human behavior challenges in organizational, educational, governmental, and community contexts.

  • Applications of Psychology: The integration of psychological theories into practical solutions for improving individual and group performance in various professional settings.
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology: The study of workplace behavior, employee motivation, leadership dynamics, and organizational development to enhance productivity and job satisfaction.
  • Developmental Psychology: Exploration of psychological growth and change across the lifespan, with applications in education, policy, and intervention design.
  • Social Psychology: Analysis of how individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social environments and group dynamics.
  • Cognitive Psychology: Investigation into mental processes such as perception, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making, with relevance to user experience and human-computer interaction.
  • Counseling: Techniques and approaches for supporting individuals through personal, emotional, and behavioral challenges in clinical and community settings.
  • Human Factors: The science of optimizing human-system interactions to improve safety, efficiency, and usability in technology, design, and work environments.
  • Research Methods and Statistics: Training in designing studies, collecting data, analyzing results, and interpreting findings to support informed decision-making and program improvement.
  • Program Evaluation: Systematic assessment of interventions, policies, and services to measure effectiveness, guide improvements, and ensure accountability.

Applied Psychology Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

2,998
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
95
Universities & Colleges
3
Career Pathways

Applied Psychology Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Applied Psychology degrees, including Managers, All Other, Psychologists, All Other and Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 690,380 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Managers, All Other 11-9199 $136,550 $68,860 - $227,590 630,980 $65.65
Psychologists, All Other 19-3039 $117,580 $51,410 - $163,570 17,790 $56.53
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1066 $80,330 $47,870 - $158,900 41,610 N/A

Applied Psychology Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $80,513 in West Virginia to $141,620 in California—a 76% difference. The highest-paying states include California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 690,380 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Applied Psychology by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 95 institutions offering Applied Psychology programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Applied Psychology is found at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) (291 graduates), University of Phoenix (UOPX), Arizona (256 graduates), Liberty University (241 graduates), Colorado Christian University (CCU) (178 graduates), and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) (153 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 2,998 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Location Control Website
California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)
Master's
291 San Francisco, California Private ciis.edu
University of Phoenix (UOPX)
Bachelor's
256 Phoenix, Arizona Private phoenix.edu
Liberty University
Master's
241 Lynchburg, Virginia Private liberty.edu
Colorado Christian University (CCU)
Bachelor's
178 Lakewood, Colorado Private ccu.edu
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
Bachelor's
153 Chicago, Illinois Public uic.edu
Boston College (BC)
Bachelor's
111 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Private bc.edu
University of Southern California (USC)
Master's
100 Los Angeles, California Private usc.edu
Arizona State University
Bachelor's
Master's
96 Scottsdale, Arizona Public asu.edu
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Postbac Cert.
Master's
88 Daytona Beach, Florida Private worldwide.erau.edu
Capella University
Master's
71 Minneapolis, Minnesota Private capella.edu
Farmingdale State College
Bachelor's
63 Farmingdale, New York Public farmingdale.edu
SUNY Buffalo State University
Bachelor's
60 Buffalo, New York Public suny.buffalostate.edu
SUNY College of Technology (SUNY Canton)
Bachelor's
59 Canton, New York Public canton.edu
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
55 Daytona Beach, Florida Private daytonabeach.erau.edu
University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
Other Award
50 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private upenn.edu
Indiana Wesleyan University
Bachelor's
50 Marion, Indiana Private indwes.edu
Florida Institute of Technology
Associate's
Bachelor's
45 Melbourne, Florida Private fit.edu
Pace University
Bachelor's
43 New York, New York Private pace.edu
Oregon Institute of Technology (OTI)
Bachelor's
43 Klamath Falls, Oregon Public oit.edu
Pacific University
Master's
42 Forest Grove, Oregon Private pacificu.edu
Long Island University (LIU)
Master's
40 Brookville, New York Private liu.edu
Los Angeles Pacific University (LAPU)
Bachelor's
40 San Dimas, California Private lapu.edu
Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU)
Bachelor's
38 Tempe, Arizona Public asu.edu
Rutgers University
Master's
38 New Brunswick, New Jersey Public newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
Touro University Worldwide (TUW)
Doctorate (Research)
32 Los Alamitos, California Private tuw.edu
Fielding Graduate University
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
30 Santa Barbara, California Private fielding.edu
Angelo State University (ASU)
Master's
30 San Angelo, Texas Public angelo.edu
Tarleton State University (TSU)
Master's
27 Stephenville, Texas Public tarleton.edu
United States Military Academy (USMA)
Bachelor's
26 West Point, New York Public westpoint.edu
Rider University
Master's
25 Lawrenceville, New Jersey Private rider.edu
Adler University
Master's
22 Chicago, Illinois Private adler.edu
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Ship)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
22 Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Public ship.edu
University of Pittsburgh
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
21 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public pitt.edu
Northeastern University (NU)
Master's
20 Boston, Massachusetts Private northeastern.edu
University of Mount Olive (UMO)
Bachelor's
20 Mount Olive, North Carolina Private umo.edu
Albright College
Master's
20 Reading, Pennsylvania Private albright.edu
Belhaven University
Bachelor's
19 Jackson, Mississippi Private belhaven.edu
Colorado State University Global (CSU Global)
Master's
19 Aurora, Colorado Public csuglobal.edu
Ottawa University
Bachelor's
18 Ottawa, Kansas Private ottawa.edu
SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology (SUNY Cobleskill)
Bachelor's
17 Cobleskill, New York Public cobleskill.edu
SUNY Morrisville (SUNY Morrisville)
Bachelor's
17 Morrisville, New York Public morrisville.edu
Biola University
Bachelor's
16 La Mirada, California Private biola.edu
Boston University (BU)
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
16 Boston, Massachusetts Private bu.edu
Keystone College
Bachelor's
15 La Plume, Pennsylvania Private keystone.edu
Francis Marion University (FMU)
Master's
15 Florence, South Carolina Public fmarion.edu
College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
14 Las Vegas, Nevada Public csn.edu
Warner Pacific University Professional and Graduate Studies (PGS)
Bachelor's
14 Portland, Oregon Private warnerpacific.edu
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (SMUMN)
Bachelor's
12 Winona, Minnesota Private smumn.edu
Northampton County Area Community College (NCC)
Associate's
12 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Public northampton.edu
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
Master's
12 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private pcom.edu
University of St Thomas
Master's
12 Houston, Texas Private stthom.edu
Champlain College
Bachelor's
12 Burlington, Vermont Private champlain.edu
University of South Florida (USF)
Master's
11 Tampa, Florida Public usf.edu
Bellevue University
Bachelor's
11 Bellevue, Nebraska Private bellevue.edu
City University of Seattle (CityU)
Bachelor's
11 Seattle, Washington Private cityu.edu
Regis University
Bachelor's
10 Denver, Colorado Private regis.edu
Mount Saint Mary's University (MSMU)
Bachelor's
9 Los Angeles, California Private msmu.edu
Southeastern University (SEU)
Bachelor's
9 Lakeland, Florida Private seu.edu
Loyola University Chicago (LUC)
Bachelor's
9 Chicago, Illinois Private luc.edu
Rosemont College
Bachelor's
9 Rosemont, Pennsylvania Private rosemont.edu
Minnesota North College
Associate's
7 Hibbing, Minnesota Public minnesotanorth.edu
Park University
Other Award
7 Parkville, Missouri Private park.edu
College of Saint Mary (CSM)
Bachelor's
7 Omaha, Nebraska Private csm.edu
Judson University
Bachelor's
6 Elgin, Illinois Private judsonu.edu
Mayville State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
6 Mayville, North Dakota Public mayvillestate.edu
Christian Brothers University (CBU)
Associate's
Bachelor's
6 Memphis, Tennessee Private cbu.edu
Lamar University (LU)
Master's
6 Beaumont, Texas Public lamar.edu
St. Mary's University
Other Award
6 San Antonio, Texas Private stmarytx.edu
Northwest University (COEE)
Master's
6 Kirkland, Washington Private northwestu.edu
Claremont Graduate University (CGU)
Master's
5 Claremont, California Private cgu.edu
Santa Clara University (SCU)
Master's
5 Santa Clara, California Private scu.edu
Wesleyan College
Bachelor's
5 Macon, Georgia Private wesleyancollege.edu
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS)
Bachelor's
5 New Orleans, Louisiana Private nobts.edu
Clinton Community College
Associate's
5 Plattsburgh, New York Public clinton.edu
Fordham University
Master's
5 Bronx, New York Private fordham.edu
Wichita State University (WSU)
Doctorate (Research)
4 Wichita, Kansas Public wichita.edu
Oak Hills Christian College (OHCC)
Bachelor's
4 Bemidji, Minnesota Private oakhills.edu
Sinclair Community College
Associate's
4 Dayton, Ohio Public sinclair.edu
Indiana University (IU Indianapolis)
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
3 Indianapolis, Indiana Public indianapolis.iu.edu
University of Massachusetts
Doctorate (Research)
3 Lowell, Massachusetts Public uml.edu
Union University
Associate's
Bachelor's
3 Jackson, Tennessee Private uu.edu
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU)
Bachelor's
2 Prescott, Arizona Private prescott.erau.edu
Point University
Bachelor's
2 West Point, Georgia Private point.edu
Cornell College
Bachelor's
2 Mount Vernon, Iowa Private cornellcollege.edu
University of New Orleans (UNO)
Doctorate (Research)
2 New Orleans, Louisiana Public new.uno.edu
Michigan Technological University (MTU)
Bachelor's
2 Houghton, Michigan Public mtu.edu
University of Missouri-St Louis (UMSL)
Bachelor's
2 Saint Louis, Missouri Public umsl.edu
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Postbac Cert.
2 Rochester, New York Private rit.edu
Malone University
Bachelor's
2 Canton, Ohio Private malone.edu
Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU)
Bachelor's
2 Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania Private gmercyu.edu
George Mason University
Postbac Cert.
2 Fairfax, Virginia Public www2.gmu.edu
Texas A&M University (TAMUCT)
Master's
2 Killeen, Texas Public tamuct.edu
University of Northern Colorado (UNCO)
Master's
1 Greeley, Colorado Public unco.edu
Austin Peay State University (APSU)
Postbac Cert.
1 Clarksville, Tennessee Public apsu.edu
Old Dominion University (ODU)
Postbac Cert.
1 Norfolk, Virginia Public odu.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Applied Psychology programs

How much can I earn with a Applied Psychology degree?

Salaries for Applied Psychology graduates vary by role and location. Managers, All Other earn a median of $136,550 annually, while Psychologists, All Other earn around $117,580. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $141,620 compared to $80,513 in West Virginia. Approximately 690,380 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Applied Psychology programs?

Currently 95 accredited institutions offer Applied Psychology degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) (291 graduates), University of Phoenix (UOPX), Arizona (256 graduates), and Liberty University (241 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Applied Psychology growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 109 in 2010 to 2,998 in 2023-24. This represents a 2,650% increase overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Applied Psychology degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Managers, All Other, Psychologists, All Other, and Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary. Related occupations employ approximately 690,380 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

Related Psychology Programs

Explore similar degree programs within the Psychology field. These programs share the same academic discipline and may offer complementary skills and career pathways.

Counseling Psychology

A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of psychological counseling, involving the rendering of therapeutic services to individuals and groups...

11,691 graduates (2023-2024)
276 schools offer this
View Program

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

A program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and group behavior in institutional settings, applications to related problems of organization and...

2,898 graduates (2023-2024)
126 schools offer this
View Program

School Psychology

A program that prepares individuals to apply clinical and counseling psychology principles to the diagnosis and treatment of student behavioral problems. Includes instruction...

3,685 graduates (2023-2024)
200 schools offer this
View Program

Educational Psychology

A program that focuses on the application of psychology to the study of the behavior of individuals in the roles of teacher and...

1,979 graduates (2023-2024)
90 schools offer this
View Program

Clinical Child Psychology

A program that focuses on the developmental processes of children and associated disorders and that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of...

106 graduates (2023-2024)
9 schools offer this
View Program

Environmental Psychology

A program that focuses on the study of behavioral interactions between human beings and the environment in individual and group contexts, and ways...

11 graduates (2023-2024)
3 schools offer this
View Program