Best Universities for Psychology Degrees

For a psychology degree, the best Australian universities are often considered to be those near the top of global rankings. However, we should also account for what students report in graduate surveys.

Taking a combined approach, the University of Sydney and ANU are in the top 5, along with less famous universities such as the University of Southern Queensland, the University of Canberra, and Deakin University.

Let’s explore the different rankings of psychology degrees in Australia.

Uni Reviews Psychology Rankings

Which uni is statistically on top for a Bachelor of Psychological Science degree? According to Uni Reviews, the University of Sydney tops the list, followed by the University of Southern Queensland and the University of Canberra.

Uni Reviews determined the rankings based on graduate satisfaction, salaries five years post-graduation, and the size of the faculty. Data was sourced from the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) and Student Experience Survey (SES), with salaries sourced from taxation returns. Each factor was scored and weighted to create the final rankings.

Top 10 Universities for Psychology in Australia

1. University of Sydney: Satisfaction – 88.1%, Salary – $71,700
2. University of Southern Queensland: Satisfaction – 87.5%, Salary – $70,400
3. University of Canberra: Satisfaction – 86.8%, Salary – $68,600
4. Deakin University: Satisfaction – 88.0%, Salary – $60,900
5. Australian National University: Satisfaction – 80.8%, Salary – $76,000
6. Southern Cross University: Satisfaction – 87.5%
7. Edith Cowan University: Satisfaction – 86.5%, Salary – $58,800
8. Federation University: Satisfaction – 85.0%, Salary – $63,000
9. Curtin University: Satisfaction – 81.5%, Salary – $66,400
10. ACAP: Satisfaction – 85.2%, Salary – $58,600

This ranking highlights the best universities for psychology in Australia based on key metrics that reflect both academic satisfaction and financial outcomes for graduates.

Source: Best Universities for Psychology in Australia

Rankings Based on Research and Name Recognition

Several sets of global university rankings are available for Psychology based on research activity and name recognition. These essentially measure the brand value of a degree from each Australian university. There is little correlation with teaching quality.

Table 1. Global Psychology Rankings for Australia, 2024

University	Times	US News	EduRank	Research	QS
University of Melbourne	19	10	27	1	21
University of Queensland	30	20	43	2	33
Monash University	50	77	55	5	52
University of Sydney	56	44	31	4	31
UNSW Sydney	59	26	51	3	30
Macquarie University	88	88	245	7	101-150
University of Adelaide	101-125	208	181	20	151-200
ANU	101-125	148	162	15	85
Curtin University	101-125	111	312	12	101-150
Flinders University	101-125	224	269	10	201-250
UWA	101-125	88	144	8	94
Griffith University	151-175	220	194	11	201-250
La Trobe University	151-175	205	256	13	151-200
ACU	176-200	114	637	6	151-200
CQUniversity	201-250	n/a	838	26	n/a
Deakin University	201-250	78	218	9	151-200
University of Newcastle	201-250	220	279	17	151-200
QUT	201-250	282	210	19	101-150
Swinburne University	201-250	284	582	16	251-300
UTS	201-250	389	319	24	201-250
University of Wollongong	201-250	288	315	14	251-300
University of Tasmania	251-300	375	429	29	251-300
Western Sydney University	251-300	122	369	22	201-250
University of Canberra	301-400	n/a	776	36	301-330
Edith Cowan University	301-400	n/a	636	33	n/a
James Cook University	301-400	461	577	30	n/a
Murdoch University	301-400	n/a	706	34	n/a
RMIT University	301-400	387	n/a	38	n/a
UniSA	301-400	332	342	18	251-300
Southern Cross University	301-400	n/a	n/a	37	n/a
Victoria University	301-400	n/a	809	31	n/a
Bond University	401-500	n/a	981	27	n/a
UniSQ	401-500	n/a	955	23	n/a
USC	401-500	n/a	1225	28	n/a
Charles Sturt University	501-600	n/a	653	35	n/a
Federation University Australia	501-600	n/a	1104	25	n/a

The same universities always dominate these league tables, irrespective of the subject. At the top, we see the University of Melbourne. Other top contenders include the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney, and UNSW Sydney.

Monash University also features prominently. Universities like Macquarie, ANU, and the University of Western Australia appear frequently in the upper tiers. Further down the list are institutions such as Deakin University, Griffith University, and Curtin University.

Online Degrees at Lerna Courses

For online study of psychology, global rankings are essentially meaningless since Australia’s best online universities often do poorly on research metrics. Lerna Courses showcases the best online psychology degrees by exploring the different programs available.

Degrees are examined and contrasted. Lerna Courses also highlights the breadth of psychology courses available online in Australia. High-quality programs include bachelor’s degrees, graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, advanced graduate diplomas, and master’s degrees. These programs offer interactive content and collaboration opportunities for online learners.

List of online degrees

• Bachelor of Psychology: A three-year program available online from several universities. Graduates with qualifying grades can pursue a fourth year for honours.
• Graduate Certificate in Psychology: The shortest psychology course, requiring four subjects over eight months part-time. This postgraduate qualification can enhance your knowledge and skills, and credits can count towards a graduate diploma.
• Graduate Diploma in Psychology: Equivalent to a three-year bachelor’s degree but shorter, requiring 10 subjects. It serves as a cost-effective bridging course for those with a degree in another field.
• 4th Year Psychology: Includes honours degrees and advanced graduate diplomas, available online. These programs are pivotal for students aiming to become psychologists.
• Master of Professional Psychology: A one-year program that forms part of the 5+1 pathway, leading to provisional registration after a year of supervised practice.
• Master of Clinical Psychology: A two-year program qualifying graduates for general registration as psychologists. This is the only specialisation available online.
• PhD in Clinical Psychology: Available from the University of New England, this program involves a transition from the Master of Psychology (Clinical) to a PhD after the first year.

Lerna Courses provides detailed information on each program, including entry requirements, learning outcomes, and career paths. Notable online degrees include offerings from UTS Online, James Cook University, Southern Cross University, Deakin University, University of New England, and ACAP.

Source: Best Psychology Degrees Online in Australia