8 Top Schools with Accredited Online Psychology Programs

Never before has the study of psychology been so accessible to working adults and rural youth. The availability and affordability of online psychology degrees has changed the way Americans earn degrees and further careers. No longer are aspiring psychologists required to attend campus classes full-time. Today, degrees in psychology can be earned entirely online, from respectable, accredited institutions.

Here are eight top schools with accredited online psychology programs.

The Pennsylvania State University

Penn State’s World Campus is the result of a correspondence learning program that began with a farming course in 1892. Penn State knows distance education and arguably does it better than any other American Institution. Their online bachelor of arts in psychology is indistinguishable from the on-campus equivalent--both in terms of curriculum and the conferred degree. If you’re looking to earn a psych degree online, Penn State demands your attention.

Drexel University

Philadelphia’s Drexel University offers a quality online campus, with degrees covering a wide variety of interests. Their Bachelor of Science in Psychology program is available to full or part time students and provides the same lesson plans and evaluation that on-campus students enjoy.

University of Massachusetts

UMass Online’s Bachelor of Science in Psychology is one of the institution’s most popular online offerings, with full accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Arizona State University

ASU Online New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences offers a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with instruction by the school’s best staff. The school also confers Master degrees in Behavioral Health and Education, providing a natural course of progression from a BA psych degree.

California Southern University

CSU’s School of Behavioral Sciences is one the few on this list that provide postgraduate psychology courses. The Doctor of Psychology degree, PysD, differs from a PhD in that emphasis is given to application rather than academics and research. Read more about CSU’s PsyD in Psychology.

Utah State University

USU’s Department of Psychology proudly provides one of the more lecture-intensive programs on this list, with regular video interaction being part of the curriculum for their online psychology degree, though some in-person interaction is required for completion.

Colorado State University

For those seeking a specialized psychology degree applicable in the business environment, CSU’s Master of Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology is worth a look. The program focuses on effectual management and HR techniques.

Colorado Technical University

CTU’s Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus in consumer behavior will prepare you for a career in marketing, industry analysis, and various positions in the production space. The program is 100% online.

Whether you’re fresh out of high school or a sixty-year-old retiree, that degree in psychology you’ve been dreaming about is there for the taking. Distance from a good campus, accreditation and lack of time for study are no longer the barriers they once were to a quality education. Some of the top schools in the nation provide psych programs in which the curriculum and conferred degree are exactly the same as enjoyed by on-campus students. The challenge today is one of making that final decision to pursue a degree.