Best HBCUs for Psychology of 2025

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a long history of delivering unique and culturally sensitive educational experiences. They also play an important role in helping make psychology a more diverse field.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 83% of the U.S. psychology workforce self-identified as white in 2019. However, a diversity push from within the field appears to be making progress. Underrepresented ethnic and racial groups represented 45% of psychology bachelor’s graduates from the class of 2022.

HBCUs account for almost one-tenth of all college enrollment among Black students in the United States. They can be a great place for learners to start their search for on-campus and online bachelor’s programs in psychology.

When seeking the best HBCU for psychology, you’ll want to consider the same set of factors you’d look at for any other college.

In 2020, the average HBCU psychology undergraduate spent just over $14,000 on tuition and fees, according to the NCES. With financial aid, however, this cost is nearly cut in half.

Overall, studying psychology at an HBCU is slightly more affordable than at a non-HBCU. According to the NCES, average tuition costs for psychology majors at HBCUs were 12% lower than that for non-HBCUs in 2019-20.

Fortunately, HBCUs offer many options for financial aid, often including scholarships for Black students, which can significantly reduce your cost of attendance.

The best HBCUs for psychology typically require about four academic years of full-time study to earn a bachelor’s degree. This generally means earning 120 credits.

You can reduce this timeline by transferring in college credits. For instance, North Carolina Central University’s psychology program only requires you to complete 30 credits at the school, meaning you could transfer in up to 75% of your total credit requirements.

Online learning can also support efficiency by making it easier to balance school with other commitments. As an example, Claflin University offers a highly rated online HBCU bachelor’s program in psychology.

Many students prefer an online environment: 100% of the online psychology, education, and social sciences students and graduates BestColleges surveyed in 2024 said they would recommend online education to others.

Applying to an HBCU isn’t much different than applying to any other college in the U.S. One major difference, however, is that you can apply to dozens of HBCUs using the Common Black College Application.

Basic application requirements include:

The best HBCUs for psychology can help prepare you for a broad array of careers. While you can enter the workforce with just a bachelor’s degree, graduate school can help you advance in your career, especially if you aim to become a psychologist.

According to 2022 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 49% of the psychology workforce holds an advanced degree, compared to just 38% of workers in all fields.

You’ll need a doctorate and licensure if you plan to become a clinical or counseling psychologist. However, you may be able to work as an industrial-organizational psychologist with just a master’s degree.

The following table introduces common careers you can pursue with a bachelor’s degree in psychology:

Many students, particularly those who identify as Black, find unique value in attending an HBCU.

“As a graduate of a historically Black institution, as well as a professional currently working at an HBCU, I have found that there are consistent benefits for students who attend,” says Hill.

These benefits, Hill explains, include “an expectation of academic excellence” and the unique “Black college bond” that HBCU graduates share with one another.

Before you apply to an HBCU for your psychology major, consider the factors above — perhaps most notably cost.

Minimizing your student debt load by reducing out-of-pocket costs is crucial. According to NACE, the average starting salary for psychology graduates in 2023 was just over $44,000 per year.

Lower-cost online programs can help you extract more value from your higher education experience. In BestColleges’ 2024 survey, 85% of online psychology, education, and social sciences students and graduates said they believe that an online learning environment is equal to or better than learning on campus.

While a bachelor’s degree in psychology leads most directly to graduate programs in the same field, you can also pursue advanced degrees in many other areas. These include:

Many other social science fields pair well with psychology, such as criminology, communication studies, political science, and sociology.

Remember to explore online channels if you plan to pursue an advanced psychology degree: Psychology ranked among the top five fastest-growing fields for online college enrollment every year from 2020 to 2023, according to BestColleges’ 2024 Online Education Trends Report.