Best Psychology Schools Near Novato, CA (2026)

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

Novato, California has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs. Novato has a population of about 52,689. Median household income is $112,193 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning psychology-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $166,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Psychology Schools to Novato

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer psychology programs near Novato, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Novato 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 Novato. 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

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, CA 8.0 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,713
Avg net price $35,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Meridian University

Petaluma, CA 10.6 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Touro University California

Vallejo, CA 16.0 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,805
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 18.3 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 22.2 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 22.6 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Golden Gate University

San Francisco, CA 22.6 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,434
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

The Wright Institute

Berkeley, CA 22.7 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Psychology Wages Near Novato

Novato is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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 $166,400 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $143,945
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist N/A CA statewide –
School Psychologist $130,540 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $112,924
Educational and Career Counselor $94,600 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $81,834
Marriage and Family Therapist $77,210 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $66,791
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor $68,400 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $59,170
Healthcare Social Worker $99,640 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $86,194
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $87,550 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $75,735

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.

Novato at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,689 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $112,193 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 47.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Psychology-related employment in Marin County 6,742 workers, 2,465 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Novato-Area Cities With Psychology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near Novato, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Novato. The closest is Dominican University of California in San Rafael, CA (8.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Touro University California (16.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles near Novato?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Novato are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($166,400), School Psychologist ($130,540), Healthcare Social Worker ($99,640). 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 San Rafael instead of Novato?

San Rafael, CA is 7.3 miles from Novato 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 Novato an affordable place to study psychology?

Novato’s median household income of $112,193 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Novato 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 Novato

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

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)