87 colleges ranked by the research strength of their Psychology faculty — a 0–100 blend of bibliometric quality, top-decile stars, federal R&D funding, and academic notability. Research output, not teaching quality. Reference corpus: 1,845 faculty. Data as of 2026-07-02.
| # | College | Research Strength | Coverage | Median h | FY24 R&D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California, Los Angeles Public Ivy · #15 74 matched faculty; median h-index 39; $19m FY24 R&D; led by Katherine H. Karlsgodt (h-index 145). | 82 | A | 39.5 | $19m |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University Ivy+ · #18 22 matched faculty; median h-index 49; $24m FY24 R&D; led by Isabel Gauthier (h-index 116). | 82 | A | 49.5 | $24m |
| 3 | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities State Flagship · #54 36 matched faculty; median h-index 35; $35m FY24 R&D; led by Robert Krueger (h-index 131). | 74 | A | 35 | $35m |
| 4 | University of California, Irvine Public Ivy · #33 30 matched faculty; median h-index 34; $21m FY24 R&D; led by Julian F. Thayer (h-index 113). | 72 | A | 34 | $21m |
| 5 | University of Houston Regional · #134 39 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $19m FY24 R&D; led by Jack M. Fletcher (h-index 116). | 68 | A | 25 | $19m |
| 6 | University of California, San Diego Public Ivy · #29 31 matched faculty; median h-index 32; $14m FY24 R&D; led by Sandra Brown (h-index 92). | 67 | A | 32 | $14m |
| 7 | University of Rochester Regional · #44 26 matched faculty; median h-index 31; $7m FY24 R&D; led by Richard M. Ryan (h-index 203). | 66 | A | 31.5 | $7m |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign State Flagship · #35 36 matched faculty; median h-index 29; $16m FY24 R&D; led by Benjamin L Hankin (h-index 78). | 66 | A | 29 | $16m |
| 9 | University of Oregon Regional · #112 41 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $24m FY24 R&D; led by Paul Slovic (h-index 142). | 65 | A | 22 | $24m |
| 10 | University of Connecticut State Flagship · #70 36 matched faculty; median h-index 29; $28m FY24 R&D; led by Seth Kalichman (h-index 98). | 65 | A | 29 | $28m |
| 11 | University of Arizona Regional · #129 37 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $12m FY24 R&D; led by Carol Barnes (h-index 98). | 64 | A | 22 | $12m |
| 12 | University of Pittsburgh State Flagship · #70 37 matched faculty; median h-index 28; $13m FY24 R&D; led by Jeffrey Cohn (h-index 98). | 62 | A | 28 | $13m |
| 13 | University of California, Santa Barbara Public Ivy · #39 36 matched faculty; median h-index 28; $5m FY24 R&D; led by Richard Mayer (h-index 153). | 62 | A | 28 | $5m |
| 14 | San Diego State University State Flagship · #119 37 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $26m FY24 R&D; led by Phillip Holcomb (h-index 75). | 62 | A | 25 | $26m |
| 15 | Florida State University Public Ivy · #54 29 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $22m FY24 R&D; led by Thomas Joiner (h-index 126). | 62 | A | 17 | $22m |
| 16 | Binghamton University (SUNY) State Flagship · #73 41 matched faculty; median h-index 23; $13m FY24 R&D; led by Mark F. Lenzenweger (h-index 62). | 61 | A | 23 | $13m |
| 17 | Michigan State University State Flagship · #63 33 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $14m FY24 R&D; led by Kelly Klump (h-index 75). | 61 | A | 27 | $14m |
| 18 | Stony Brook University (SUNY) State Flagship · #58 33 matched faculty; median h-index 35; $4m FY24 R&D; led by Daniel Klein (h-index 98). | 60 | A | 35 | $4m |
| 19 | University of Kansas Selective Public · #130 36 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $13m FY24 R&D; led by Nyla Branscombe (h-index 80). | 60 | A | 25 | $13m |
| 20 | Ohio State University State Flagship · #41 31 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $6m FY24 R&D; led by Barbara Andersen (h-index 76). | 59 | A | 27 | $6m |
| 21 | Florida International University State Flagship · #98 19 matched faculty; median h-index 23; $45m FY24 R&D; led by Ronald P. Fisher (h-index 61). | 59 | A | 23 | $45m |
| 22 | University of South Florida State Flagship · #91 39 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $9m FY24 R&D; led by Tammy Allen (h-index 87). | 58 | A | 22 | $9m |
| 23 | University of South Carolina State Flagship · #129 17 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $14m FY24 R&D; led by Huebner, Scott (h-index 85). | 56 | B | 22 | $14m |
| 24 | University of California, Santa Cruz State Flagship · #84 37 matched faculty; median h-index 28; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Thomas F Pettigrew (h-index 73). | 55 | A | 28 | $2m |
| 25 | University of Illinois, Chicago State Flagship · #80 17 matched faculty; median h-index 31; $5m FY24 R&D; led by Maki, Pauline (h-index 69). | 55 | B | 31 | $5m |
| 26 | University at Albany (SUNY) State Flagship · #129 34 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $5m FY24 R&D; led by Gordon Gallup (h-index 69). | 54 | A | 25.5 | $5m |
| 27 | University of Alabama at Birmingham Regional · #134 27 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $8m FY24 R&D; led by Karlene K. Ball (h-index 77). | 53 | A | 25 | $8m |
| 28 | University at Buffalo (SUNY) State Flagship · #76 34 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $5m FY24 R&D; led by John Roberts (h-index 64). | 53 | A | 25 | $5m |
| 29 | University of Central Florida State Flagship · #119 32 matched faculty; median h-index 19; $10m FY24 R&D; led by Deborah C. Beidel (h-index 82). | 53 | A | 19.5 | $10m |
| 30 | University of Denver Regional · #119 28 matched faculty; median h-index 19; $7m FY24 R&D; led by Bruce Pennington (h-index 112). | 53 | A | 19.5 | $7m |
| 31 | Boston College Elite Private · #39 11 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $6m FY24 R&D; led by Elizabeth Kensinger (h-index 69). | 49 | A | 27 | $6m |
| 32 | George Washington University Regional · #63 19 matched faculty; median h-index 27; $6m FY24 R&D; led by Jody Ganiban (h-index 45). | 48 | A | 27 | $6m |
| 33 | Southern Methodist University Regional · #91 14 matched faculty; median h-index 30; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Ernest Jouriles (h-index 58). | 47 | A | 30.5 | $2m |
| 34 | Baylor University Regional · #91 20 matched faculty; median h-index 24; $8m FY24 R&D; led by Christine A. Limbers (h-index 41). | 47 | A | 24 | $8m |
| 35 | Loyola University Chicago Regional · #105 36 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $1m FY24 R&D; led by James Garbarino (h-index 56). | 44 | A | 21.5 | $1m |
| 36 | University of Oklahoma Regional · #112 32 matched faculty; median h-index 20; $6m FY24 R&D; led by Michael Mumford (h-index 91). | 44 | A | 20 | $6m |
| 37 | Claremont McKenna College Elite Private · #33 18 matched faculty; median h-index 20; $1m FY24 R&D; led by David Day (h-index 57). | 42 | A | 20.5 | $1m |
| 38 | University of Texas at Dallas Regional · #112 7 matched faculty; median h-index 32; $4m FY24 R&D; led by Hervé Abdi (h-index 59). | 42 | B | 32 | $4m |
| 39 | Barnard College Top LAC · #12 20 matched faculty; median h-index 20; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Peter Balsam (h-index 45). | 41 | A | 20 | $1m |
| 40 | Wake Forest University Selective Private · #47 24 matched faculty; median h-index 22; $1m FY24 R&D; led by William Fleeson (h-index 52). | 40 | A | 22.5 | $1m |
| 41 | Marquette University Regional · #86 17 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $2m FY24 R&D; led by John Grych (h-index 50). | 40 | A | 25 | $2m |
| 42 | University of Vermont State Flagship · #134 25 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $3m FY24 R&D; led by Betsy Hoza (h-index 83). | 39 | A | 21 | $3m |
| 43 | University of Maryland, Baltimore County State Flagship · #129 22 matched faculty; median h-index 18; $3m FY24 R&D; led by Christopher Murphy (h-index 55). | 39 | A | 18.5 | $3m |
| 44 | Wesleyan University Selective Private · #39 19 matched faculty; median h-index 20; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Charles A. Sanislow (h-index 70). | 38 | A | 20 | $1m |
| 45 | University of New Hampshire Regional · #119 11 matched faculty; median h-index 15; $1m FY24 R&D; led by David Finkelhor (h-index 91). | 37 | A | 15 | $1m |
| 46 | North Carolina State University State Flagship · #58 36 matched faculty; median h-index 19; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Thomas Hess (h-index 47). | 37 | A | 19 | $2m |
| 47 | Skidmore College Top LAC · #37 17 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Sheldon Solomon (h-index 73). | 36 | A | 16 | $0m |
| 48 | Sewanee: The University of the South Top LAC · #43 7 matched faculty; median h-index 11; led by Sherry L. Hamby (h-index 67). | 32 | B | 11 | — |
| 49 | College of William & Mary Public Ivy · #54 16 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Janice Zeman (h-index 42). | 32 | A | 21 | $0m |
| 50 | University of Mississippi Selective Public · #162 5 matched faculty; median h-index 25; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Laura Dixon (h-index 31). | 30 | C | 25 | $2m |
| 51 | Saint Louis University Regional · #105 35 matched faculty; median h-index 19; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Eddie M. Clark (h-index 41). | 30 | A | 19 | $0m |
| 52 | Bucknell University Top LAC · #35 12 matched faculty; median h-index 15; $0m FY24 R&D; led by David Evans (h-index 41). | 30 | A | 15.5 | $0m |
| 53 | College of the Holy Cross Top LAC · #30 17 matched faculty; median h-index 14; led by Richard Schmidt (h-index 57). | 30 | A | 14 | — |
| 54 | Kenyon College Top LAC · #32 13 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Linda Smolak (h-index 50). | 28 | A | 14 | $0m |
| 55 | Tulane University Elite Private · #73 19 matched faculty; median h-index 21; $4m FY24 R&D; led by Bonnie K. Nastasi (h-index 36). | 28 | A | 21 | $4m |
| 56 | University of San Diego Regional · #112 15 matched faculty; median h-index 11; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Matthew Boland (h-index 36). | 28 | A | 11 | $0m |
| 57 | Reed College Top LAC · #47 8 matched faculty; median h-index 15; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Kristen G. Anderson (h-index 37). | 26 | B | 15.5 | $0m |
| 58 | Santa Clara University Regional · #63 14 matched faculty; median h-index 12; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Thomas Plante (h-index 36). | 26 | A | 12 | $1m |
| 59 | Rutgers University, Camden Regional · #98 14 matched faculty; median h-index 20; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Daniel Hart (h-index 39). | 26 | A | 20 | $0m |
| 60 | Bryn Mawr College Top LAC · #33 12 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Clark R. McCauley (h-index 43). | 26 | A | 17 | $0m |
| 61 | Wellesley College Elite Private · #28 21 matched faculty; median h-index 23; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Paul Wink (h-index 34). | 25 | A | 23 | $1m |
| 62 | Pepperdine University Selective Private · #80 11 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $1m FY24 R&D; led by Elizabeth Krumrei Mancuso (h-index 28). | 23 | A | 16 | $1m |
| 63 | Gettysburg College Top LAC · #56 8 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Brian Meier (h-index 42). | 23 | B | 13.5 | $0m |
| 64 | Oberlin College Top LAC · #28 7 matched faculty; median h-index 11; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Nancy Darling (h-index 38). | 23 | B | 11 | $0m |
| 65 | Haverford College Top LAC · #16 7 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Marilyn Boltz (h-index 30). | 23 | B | 17 | $0m |
| 66 | Colby College Elite Private · #47 11 matched faculty; median h-index 16; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Christopher Soto (h-index 40). | 22 | A | 16 | $0m |
| 67 | Davidson College Elite Private · #40 11 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Mark Smith (h-index 43). | 22 | A | 13 | $0m |
| 68 | California State University, Long Beach Public Ivy · #129 18 matched faculty; median h-index 11; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Courtney Ahrens (h-index 25). | 21 | B | 11.5 | $2m |
| 69 | Howard University Selective Private · #86 13 matched faculty; median h-index 9; $2m FY24 R&D; led by Alfonso Campbell (h-index 16). | 21 | B | 9 | $2m |
| 70 | Macalester College Top LAC · #24 6 matched faculty; median h-index 17; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Joan Ostrove (h-index 25). | 21 | B | 17.5 | $0m |
| 71 | Union College Top LAC · #41 12 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Jennifer Fredricks (h-index 34). | 20 | A | 13.5 | $0m |
| 72 | Creighton University Regional · #119 11 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Matthew T. Huss (h-index 25). | 20 | A | 13 | $0m |
| 73 | Vassar College Top LAC · #13 15 matched faculty; median h-index 12; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Hadley C. Bergstrom (h-index 26). | 20 | A | 12 | $0m |
| 74 | Middlebury College Elite Private · #30 14 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Barbara Hofer (h-index 30). | 20 | A | 14 | $0m |
| 75 | Whitman College Top LAC · #48 9 matched faculty; median h-index 14; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Thomas Armstrong (h-index 26). | 20 | B | 14 | $0m |
| 76 | Colgate University Selective Private · #46 11 matched faculty; median h-index 13; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Rebecca Shiner (h-index 29). | 19 | A | 13 | $0m |
| 77 | Connecticut College Top LAC · #42 8 matched faculty; median h-index 15; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Ruth E. Grahn (h-index 20). | 19 | B | 15.5 | $0m |
| 78 | Rhodes College Top LAC · #52 9 matched faculty; median h-index 12; led by Natalie Person (h-index 21). | 18 | B | 12 | — |
| 79 | Carleton College Top LAC · #6 11 matched faculty; median h-index 10; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Ken Abrams (h-index 33). | 18 | A | 10 | $0m |
| 80 | Lafayette College Top LAC · #38 9 matched faculty; median h-index 11; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Michael Nees (h-index 22). | 18 | B | 11 | $0m |
| 81 | Centre College Top LAC · #53 6 matched faculty; median h-index 7; led by Jennifer Goetz (h-index 16). | 18 | B | 7 | — |
| 82 | Grinnell College Top LAC · #14 11 matched faculty; median h-index 7; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Christopher Conway (h-index 29). | 18 | A | 7 | $0m |
| 83 | Yeshiva University Regional · #105 13 matched faculty; median h-index 10; led by Bruno Galantucci (h-index 20). | 17 | A | 10 | — |
| 84 | Colorado College Top LAC · #27 8 matched faculty; median h-index 9; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Tomi-Ann Roberts (h-index 31). | 17 | B | 9.5 | $0m |
| 85 | Bates College Top LAC · #20 10 matched faculty; median h-index 11; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Todd A. Kahan (h-index 15). | 17 | A | 11 | $0m |
| 86 | Denison University Top LAC · #39 10 matched faculty; median h-index 9; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Robert Weis (h-index 21). | 15 | A | 9 | $0m |
| 87 | St. Olaf College Top LAC · #55 8 matched faculty; median h-index 8; $0m FY24 R&D; led by Piercarlo Valdesolo (h-index 13). | 14 | B | 8.5 | $0m |
Research Strength (0–100) blends four components, re-normalized over whichever are available for each college: Quality 45%, Stars 25%, Funding 20%, Notability 10%. Each college's faculty in Psychology are matched to OpenAlex research records; scores use field-relative percentiles across these 192 colleges, not all US institutions. A college needs at least four matched faculty to be ranked.
Research Strength Rankings v1.0 · as of 2026-07-02.