Best Psychology colleges in Texas 2024

Established in 1912, Houston’s Rice University plays home to a research-focused psychology department. Areas of particular expertise and research interest include industrial and organizational psychology, human-computer interactions, and cognitive and affective neuroscience. Notable Rice alumni include notorious aviator and industrialist Howard Hughes and author Joyce Carol Oates.

One of the most popular undergraduate degrees at Rice, the school’s Bachelor’s in Psychology takes a multidisciplinary academic approach. Core courses include an introduction to psychology, introduction to social psychology, and social sciences statistics. For graduate students, Rice offers an academic path for career researchers and academics rather than clinical professionals.

Established in 1927, the University of Houston is a large public research institution that serves nearly 50,000 students every year. Notable alumni include award-winning singer Lizzo, actor Jim Parsons, and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren. UH’s psychology department confers graduate and undergraduate degrees, and the organizational psychology program is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country.

Continuously accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association, the University of Houston strives for academic excellence while advancing research in the field. UH offers four academic specialization areas: 

• Clinical psychology
• Developmental, cognitive, and behavioral neuroscience
• Industrial organizational psychology
• Social psychology

Part of the University of Texas system, UT Dallas was founded in 1961 and joined the UT system in 1969. UT Dallas is home to nearly 30,000 students, and the school’s behavioral and brain sciences department is recognized as a producer of some of the university’s most cutting-edge research.

UT Dallas’ psychology academic tracks include two doctoral programs, three master’s programs, and three bachelor’s degree tracks. Students tackling a Bachelor’s in Psychology complete classes including statistics for psychology, cognitive psychology, and lifespan development. For high-performing students planning to secure a master’s degree, the school provides a fast-track option where learners can complete up to 15 credits of approved graduate-level coursework.

The flagship institution in the University of Texas system, UT Austin was established in 1883 and serves over 50,000 students annually. Conferring degrees to an extensive list of influential individuals, notable alumni include former First Ladies Laura Bush and Lady Bird Johnson, noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey.

UT Austin’s undergraduate psychology program supplies learners with a solid foundation in psychology, reviewing the contemporary and historical research involving human and animal behavior. The school also offers a psychology PhD program with specializations in behavioral neuroscience, clinical psychology, and social psychology.

With an enrollment of nearly 70,000 students, Texas A&M is one of the largest universities in the United States. TAMU was founded in 1876 and boasts former heads of state, influential CEOs, and award-winning athletes among its over half-million alumni. TAMU’s psychology and brain sciences department offers various undergraduate and graduate-level psychology degrees.

This prominent Texas institution offers a BA/BS in psychology and a behavioral/cognitive neuroscience BS degree. Standard undergraduate psychology courses include Black psychology, psychological aspects of human sexuality, and survey of industrial psychology. Bachelor’s degree students also have access to various internship and study abroad opportunities.

Based in the west Texas city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a large public research university with an enrollment of over 40,000 students. TTU is recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and holds regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC). Notable alumni include several governors, astronauts, CEOs, and media personalities.

The school’s department of psychological sciences offers multiple graduate-level psychology degrees. All holding programmatic accreditation from the American Psychological Association, areas of concentration include:

• Social psychology
• Hhuman factors psychology
• Ccognitive neuroscience
• Counseling psychology
• Clinical psychology

The University of North Texas is a public research institution and was established in 1890. Serving over 40,000 students across its multiple campuses, notable UNT grads include TV personality Dr. Phil and various musicians including Meat Loaf, The Eagles’ Don Henley, Norah Jones, and Roy Orbison. The school is also a forerunner in environmental sustainability and plays home to the world’s first PhD in environmental ethics.

UNT’s department of psychology offers undergraduate degrees and graduate-level programs in behavioral sciences, clinical psychology, and counseling psychology. In addition to SACSCOC regional accreditation, the school’s counseling and clinical programs are accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Located in Huntsville, Texas, Sam Houston State University is a public institution serving students since 1879. Home to over 20,000 learners annually, SHSU offers dozens of undergraduate degree and graduate programs. Additionally, SHSU provides flexible and affordable academic options through more than 20 online degrees.

SHSU’s psychology department offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and a PhD in Clinical Psychology. While graduate-level studies must be completed on campus, the school’s BS in Psychology can also be completed primarily online. Standard undergraduate courses include topics such as abnormal psychology, physiological psychology, and psychopathology and family dynamics.