10 Best HBCU Psychology Programs

Located in Tallahassee, Florida, FAMU is a public historically Black university. 

Students in the Department of Psychology at FAMU can choose between a bachelor of arts (BA) and a bachelor of science (BS) degree in psychology. The department particularly prides itself on providing students with a foundation in the fundamentals of modern psychology through a strong emphasis on Black and multicultural psychology.

North Carolina A&T boasts a high approval rate from its students. In fact, 96% of alums say they would earn their degrees at North Carolina A&T all over again, given the chance.

North Carolina A&T’s psychology department takes a holistic approach to studying the discipline. It provides students with a robust curriculum and opportunities to integrate their studies in student organizations devoted to psychology, internships, and self-designed independent studies or research projects. 

Students choose Howard University for its distinction in academic excellence, research innovation, and nationally-recognized faculty. Centrally located in Washington, D.C., Howard University students have great professional networking and development opportunities through hands-on activities such as research and internships. 

Howard’s undergraduate psychology program emphasizes research methodologies and skills associated with conducting research. In addition, the curriculum provides a wide breadth of courses in diverse identities, including:

• Psychology of the Black Experience
• Psychology of Race and Racism
• Psychology of Gender
• Cross-Cultural Psychology 

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Spelman College is a globally recognized all-women’s HBCU. Spelman’s student body represents 44 different states and 10 different countries, offering students an academic environment of diverse perspectives. With just over 2,000 students, the university’s student-to-faculty ratio is 10-to-1. 

Spelman’s psychology department offers a BA and a BS degree. In addition to foundational courses, the department provides courses on many topics, allowing students the flexibility to dive deeper into psychology subspecialties. BA degree students can choose mental health or pre-law tracks. Students in the BS degree program may complete a concentration in neuroscience pre-med track. 

FSU is one of the oldest universities in North Carolina, dating back to 1867. It attracts diverse students, from traditional learners to adult students and current and former military service members. What’s more, 90% of FSU’s entering class receives a financial aid package. 

FSU’s undergraduate psychology program attracts “a culturally, racially, and economically diverse population of civilian and military learners.” FSU is the only HBCU that provides an online undergraduate psychology degree. The department provides two concentration options: health psychology or work and organizational psychology.

HU is a private institution in Virginia with a 15-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. HU’s psychology faculty conduct “cutting edge-decolonized-intersectional-social justice research and pedagogical innovation that spans behavioral, clinical, cognitive, experimental, physiological, developmental, social psychology, and neuroscience.”

The “Student Research Opportunities” section on the department website provides a list of departmental faculty members and their respective research projects. Students are invited to participate in faculty-conducted research, with opportunities to serve as study subjects or research assistants.

WSSU is a co-educational public institution with just over 5,000 students. 

WSSU’s undergraduate psychology program allows students to choose from three distinct tracks within the discipline: culture/health, social/cognitive, and honors. The department encourages students to translate information learned in the classroom into hands-on experience through internships, faculty-led research projects, and community service work.

NCCU is the nation’s first public liberal arts HBCU. It has an average class size of 22 and a 16-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio.

NCCU offers both a BA and a BS in psychology. The curriculum for both requires students to take several courses related to Black experiences, including:

• The Black Experience to 1865
• The Black Experience Since 1865
• Black Psychology

Based in Texas, PVAMU is the state’s second-oldest public university. 

PVAMU’s psychology program is one of the largest on campus. Though the department provides a bachelor’s degree in the field, it also offers a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, allowing students to continue their studies as needed for the psychology-related career they’re pursuing.

Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, SU provides affordable in- and out-of-state tuition, with the average need-based financial package covering close to 90% of tuition and fees for a year. 

SU’s psychology program prepares students to “compete globally and to address human needs locally, nationally, and internationally through research and service.” The program’s curriculum focuses on substance misuse, providing students with eligibility to take the substance misuse counselor certification examination after graduating from the program. The department also boasts a chapter of the national honors society of psychology, Psi Chi.