Personality Psychology is a popular sub-field within the broader field of psychology. This branch of psychology studies personality and its differences among individuals. This field focuses on a wide range of individual factors as well as the major psychological processes involved.
What is Personality Psychology?
According to the American Psychological Association: Personality refers to “individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving”. The study of personality as a field emphasizes two comprehensive areas of study:
- The understanding individual differences in particular personality characteristics, such as sociability or irritability
- The understanding of how various parts of a person come together as a whole
What are the Best Personality Psychology Degree Programs?
According to the Princeton Review’s Gourman Report list of the best Personality Psychology Graduate Programs, there are ten educational leaders in this field.
#1 – Stanford University – Located in Stanford, California
#2 – University of Michigan – Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan
#3 – Yale University – Located in New Haven, Connecticut
#4 – University of Minnesota – Twin Cities – Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota
#5 – University of California – Located in Berkeley, California
#6 – University of Washington – Located in Seattle, Washington
#7 – Cornell University – Located in Ithaca, New York
#8 – University of Wisconsin- Located in Madison, Wisconsin
#9 – Columbia University – Located in New York, New York
#10 – University of Texas – Located in Austin, Texas
How Much Will a Graduate Degree in Personality Psychology Cost?
The average tuition of a graduate program in Personality psychology varies depending upon several relevant factors. These include the region of the country you pursue your degree, the school you choose and what specialty area you are working toward. One of the most important factors is what level of degree you choose to pursue. A master’s degree in this field will cost considerably less than a doctoral degree. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) the median annual tuition for state residents enrolled in a public master’s degree program was $5,343 in 2008-2009, which was an increase from tuition data reported in 2007-2008 ($4,590). The annual tuition rates for nonresidents were approximately three times the resident amount, at $13,088. For students enrolled in doctoral programs the APA stated that the median annual tuition for state residents enrolled in a public doctoral departments was $7,104 in 2008-2009, which was an increase from tuition data reported in 2007-2008 ($6,819). Annual tuition rates for nonresidents were $16,966.
Pursuing a graduate degree from a program that has received recognition for excellence provides students with the most amount of potential upon graduation. These are ten of the best programs in the country. For more information on the best Personality Psychology graduate programs check out the Princeton Review’s “Gourman Report of Graduate Programs” (8th edition).