The 5 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs In Psychology

Thinking about majoring in psychology? An undergraduate psychology degree online will not only open doors to what could become a versatile career, but it can also offer you the opportunity to continue your education and become a psychologist, which is a field with high average salaries and steady career growth. 

As of 2020, the median annual wage for psychologists was about $82,180. The field also had a projected job growth of about 3% through 2029  — which is on par with the national average in all fields.To accomplish your goal of becoming a psychologist or obtaining a position in a similar field, you’ll need to start with a bachelor’s degree. Online bachelor’s programs in psychology will offer you both the flexibility and affordability you are looking for in a school. And, some of the best schools also offer the cheapest online psychology degrees, making the cost of obtaining your bachelor’s degree in psychology more affordable.

The 5 Most Affordable Online Psychology Degrees

Opportunities for an Online Bachelor's Degree in Psychology

These online programs offer students the opportunity to earn their degree in a flexible and customized format. Because an undergraduate psychology degree can lead to a psychology career, it can also serve as preliminary training for areas such as medicine, law, business, human resources and police work. While enrolled in an online psychology program, students will gain knowledge about the methods and theories that underlie the field of psychology. They will be introduced to the scientific method as it applies to psychological research. All of this serves as an excellent foundation for students who plan to enter graduate training programs in psychology. Some programs support local internships for students who want to work in the field to start to make decisions about what direction to take their academic career. By earning an online bachelor's degree in psychology students can move in a variety of academic and career directions.

Psychology Degree Online Requirements

The admissions requirements and prerequisites will vary from program to program. In general, you will need to meet the requirements for admission to the college or university you are considering, which will be at least a high school diploma or GED. You may also need to submit standardized test scores, like SAT or ACT results, for admission. Other application requirements will vary.

After you are admitted to the school you’ve applied to, you may also need to apply for admission to the psychology program at the school. Some majors require special applications to be admitted into the program.

Psychology Courses

You’ll have to complete a wide range of classes to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, including general education classes like math and English, as well as the required psychology courses in your major independent of the psychology concentration you choose.

In general, this degree plan for this major will require you to take psychology classes like child and adult development,  industrial-organizational psychology, and other behavioral science courses. You’ll likely need to complete electives as well, though the elective and graduation requirements will vary from school to school.

Curious what your classes will look like if you pursue this degree? Let’s take a look at what some of the typical psychology classes are for this degree:

Career Path in Psychology

There are a number of different career paths you can venture down with a degree in psychology. While some will require a graduate degree, others offer a feasible path to employment with just an undergraduate degree in psychology.

Potential career paths include:

• Human resources manager
• Psychology professor*
• Psychology teacher, high school
• Child psychologist
• Mental health professional
• Rehabilitation specialist
• Marriage and family therapist
• Drug and alcohol counselor
• Behavior analyst*
• Clinical psychologist*
• Correctional officer
• Industrial psychologist
• Mental health counselor
• Program evaluation consultant
• Social behavioral scientist

Job Outlook and Salary

With an online bachelor’s degree in psychology, you have the ability to choose from a wide range of careers. Among the most popular career options for psychology students is working as a psychologist. This career path had a median wage of about $82,180 as of 2020, with a projected job growth rate of about 3%, according to BLS. But, while this is a popular path to pursue, you’ll need a master’s or doctoral degree in psychology to pursue it — and the licensing required to practice.

You can also pursue other career paths with this type of degree, including fields like social work and sociology. The average wage earned by social workers was about $51,760 per year as of 2020, and the field had a high projected job growth rate of about 13% through 2029. Sociologists earned a median annual wage of about $86,110 per year as of 2020, and the field had a projected job growth rate of about 4% through 2029.

Related Degrees

How Much Does It Cost to Get an Online Bachelor’s in Psychology?

Tuition costs for an online undergraduate degree in psychology will vary depending on the program you chose and your residency status. Some schools will charge about $100 more per credit if you live out of state. Other programs will offer a flat price for online students, regardless of where you live. 

The programs we ranked ranged in price between $100 per credit and $460 per credit on average, and programs usually require you to complete 120 credit hours to graduate. After four years of education, that can total between $12,000 and $55,000 for tuition costs. There will likely be fees and other associated costs as well.

The Top 5 Online Affordable Bachelor’s Programs in Psychology for 2021