Studying at a top-ranked university is hugely important when it comes to your career and your personal growth. But if you are thinking about studying psychology abroad, which country is the best choice? There are many factors to consider before making a decision on where to study psychology, and so this article outlines the top 10 best countries to study psychology in terms of fees, student satisfaction, graduate prospects, and professor retention. Also read the Top 10 countries to study medicine in the world
Ranking the Top 10 Best Countries to Study Psychology
Here are a few of the best countries to study psychology, based on job prospects, quality of education, and quality of life.
Canada
Canada is ranked No. 1 on our list of the best countries to study psychology in. Canada has an impressive number of top universities for psychology majors, including the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and McGill University. Canadian universities value interdisciplinary study; in fact, students who specialize in psychology will usually study psychology along with a second major like business or economics. If you do decide to go with a double major, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to put your knowledge into practice.
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Canada is one of only two countries that requires graduate students to be licensed as psychologists before they can even begin studying it. You’ll spend plenty of time with clients (typically around 400 hours per year) as part of your clinical training and internship experience. According to StudentPulse, 90% of psychology grads find employment within six months of graduation!
Denmark
Denmark is ranked No. 2 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. Denmark is well known for having a flexible education system. The Danish government and employers work together to offer programs that provide students with work experience while they study psychology at university. This gives you a good chance of landing a great job after graduation.
You can choose from courses in areas such as developmental psychology, social psychology, organizational psychology, humanistic and transpersonal psychology, abnormal psychology, and many more. Studying here will put you right in the middle of Europe’s thriving capital city of Copenhagen, making it easy to access opportunities all over Europe. The next best thing about studying in Denmark is that it’s generally affordable—especially if you are an EU citizen!
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Norway
Norway is ranked No. 3 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. Norway is another good option for students to study psychology because of Norway’s high ranking on some of the major psychology and education-related indices. In addition to its high standard of living, it ranks as one of the best countries in terms of quality of life (based on issues like sense of purpose, satisfaction with life, and achievements).
It also scores highly in terms of being a safe place to live (including high levels of crime-free living) and offering opportunities for career advancement. While Norway is not a part of Europe—it falls under Scandinavia instead—students may find that their degrees are recognized throughout Europe without too much difficulty.
Sweden
Sweden is ranked No. 4 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. A strong social safety net and a high per capita income have made Sweden one of the most prosperous countries in Europe. The country has a thriving economy, good work-life balance, affordable higher education, and inexpensive healthcare. In fact, Sweden tops Bloomberg’s quality of life index as one of the best places to live in 2018. There are several universities in Sweden that offer psychology programs, but at Stockholm University—one of Scandinavia’s leading research institutions—students can earn their Master’s degree entirely in English.
The university also offers three doctoral programs that are taught completely in English: Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Developmental Science.
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Australia
Australia is ranked No. 5 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. In 2016, Australia was ranked as one of the best countries to study psychology. University life in Australia offers high-quality education and is recognized all over the world. Living in Australia you have access to a large community of international students from other countries with whom you can share your daily experiences. In addition, universities in Australia are equipped with various useful resources for incoming students that include services for learning English before classes start, specialized orientation sessions, and support teams who will guide you through each step of study during your time there.
Spain
Spain is ranked No. 6 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. Not only is it one of Europe’s best countries to study psychology, but Madrid also offers great opportunities for studying abroad in Latin America. The healthcare and hospitality industries are strong in Spain, but most students have trouble finding jobs once they complete their studies. Still, Spain is a beautiful country with much to offer foreign psychology students. If you’re set on living in Europe and learning Spanish, then there are few better places to pursue your degree than Spain. Don’t forget to also view the top 10 best countries for studying and working
Netherlands
The Netherlands is ranked No. 7 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. This small country produces some of Europe’s highest scores on standardized tests. The Dutch also score high in workplace happiness and financial satisfaction, thanks to policies that benefit both workers and employers. Most businesses in Holland offer some sort of flexible scheduling policy to their employees, with only a third requiring more than 35 hours a week. Amsterdam is home to several universities and institutes focused on psychology—the University of Amsterdam, for example, was ranked by US News as one of Europe’s top 50 psychology programs.
And more generally, because so many immigrants to Holland come from countries all over Africa and Asia (along with various other countries), cultural diversity has permeated every level of society here. Also see the list of universities with PhD stipends
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is ranked No. 8 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. The United Kingdom is a fantastic country to study psychology. There are excellent universities across England and Wales, including St George’s University in London and Swansea University. In fact, two of the UK’s top five universities for psychology are located here! The programs are relatively affordable as well, with prices between £9000 and £15,000 per year. For example, even if you were to attend one of England’s most prestigious institutions (Imperial College London), your yearly fees would only be £14 000/€17 640/$19 600, which makes it one of the cheapest and best countries to study psychology.
Germany
Germany is ranked No. 9 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. With its established relationship between psychology and healthcare, Germany is a great place to learn how to work in mental health. But there’s more to study here than just psychology: while teaching in Germany, you can easily take classes on history, German literature, and philosophy at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Classes are typically taught in German, though you may be able to take some classes offered by international students with English-language proficiency. University life here is enjoyable—international students often comment on how welcoming fellow students and professors are!
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Ireland
Ireland is ranked No. 10 on our list of the best countries to study psychology. It has 4 universities listed in the International Student Barometer that offer psychology studies. Ireland boasts an excellent quality of life, a good economy, and affordable living costs which are among some of the top reasons why it is on our list.