Best Psychology Schools Near Modesto, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Modesto, California has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs. Modesto has a population of about 218,614. Median household income is $77,899 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Modesto, CA metro area, the top-earning psychology-related role is School Psychologist at a median $128,750 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Psychology Schools to Modesto

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer psychology programs near Modesto, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Modesto city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Modesto. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 1.0 miles from Modesto
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California psychology page.

Psychology Wages Near Modesto

Modesto is part of the Modesto, CA metro area (BLS area code 33700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist $123,030 Modesto, CA $118,184
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist N/A CA statewide –
School Psychologist $128,750 Modesto, CA $123,679
Educational and Career Counselor $94,370 Modesto, CA $90,653
Marriage and Family Therapist $69,680 Modesto, CA $66,936
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor $62,700 Modesto, CA $60,231
Healthcare Social Worker $95,250 Modesto, CA $91,499
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $78,880 Modesto, CA $75,773

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Modesto at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 218,614 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,899 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 104.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Psychology-related employment in Stanislaus County 12,375 workers, 7,126 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Modesto-Area Cities With Psychology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near Modesto, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Modesto. The closest is Modesto Junior College in Modesto, CA (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Merced College (35.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles near Modesto?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Modesto are: School Psychologist ($128,750), Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($123,030), Healthcare Social Worker ($95,250). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ceres instead of Modesto?

Ceres, CA is 3.6 miles from Modesto and has its own set of local psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Modesto an affordable place to study psychology?

Modesto’s median household income of $77,899 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Modesto while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in Modesto

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Modesto:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Psychology Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)