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Industrial psychologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an industrial psychologist. Industrial psychologists usually study psychology, counseling psychology, or clinical psychology. 59% of industrial psychologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 32 real industrial psychologist resumes to see exactly what industrial psychologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for industrial psychologists are the Western Kentucky University and the Western Kentucky University.
There are also many online industrial psychologist courses to help get the education required to be an industrial psychologist.
What education do you need to become an industrial psychologist?
What degree do you need to be an industrial psychologist?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 15%
- Associate, 4%
What should I major in to become an industrial psychologist?
- Psychology, 57%
- Other Majors, 11%
Most common colleges for industrial psychologists
| Industrial psychologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Western Kentucky University | 12.50% |
| Central State University | 12.50% |
| Fairmont State University | 6.25% |
| Grand Canyon University | 6.25% |
| Central Michigan University | 6.25% |
Best majors for industrial psychologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 57.1% |
| 2 | Counseling Psychology | 21.4% |
| 3 | Clinical Psychology | 7.1% |
| 4 | Information Systems | 3.6% |
| 5 | Spanish Language | 3.6% |
Best colleges for industrial psychologists
The best colleges for industrial psychologists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.
An industrial psychologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for industrial psychologists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become industrial psychologists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,167
Enrollment
30,279
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for industrial psychologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial psychologists
The most affordable schools for industrial psychologists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for industrial psychologists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for industrial psychologists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial psychologists
The hardest universities for industrial psychologists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for industrial psychologists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for industrial psychologists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for industrial psychologists
The easiest schools for industrial psychologists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an industrial psychologist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for industrial psychologists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average industrial psychologist salary by education level
| Industrial psychologist education level | Industrial psychologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $84,805 |
| Doctorate Degree | $106,484 |
Industrial psychologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025