Bachelor’s Degree in Psychological Science

Bachelor of Science
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With WPI’s psychological science degree, you might run studies on learning or neuroscience or mental health—and then apply your skills across healthcare, UX, robotics, and even law.

At a Glance

Proven Career Success

Average Starting Salary: $64,736 (bachelor’s degree graduates)*

Notable Employers: UCLA Health, MITRE, Dell Technologies, MassMutual, Boston Children’s Hospital** 

*WPI Class of 2023 First Destination Survey (most recent year with reported salary data) **WPI First Destination Survey, multiyear pooled (2019–25)

Application Deadlines

Early Decision/Early Action I: Nov. 1 

Early Decision/Early Action II: Jan. 5 

Regular Decision: Feb. 1 

Explore This Degree

Options

Customize Your Path

Your WPI degree is yours to shape. Specialize with a concentration to go deeper into the area driving your curiosity. Complement your major with a minor, or choose electives that interest you. Take your education even further by continuing into one of WPI’s graduate programs to deepen your expertise.

 

Concentrations

Psychobiology

Study the biology behind behavior—neurons, hormones, and brain systems that shape how minds work.

Diversity Science

Investigate how psychology shapes identity, attitudes, and behavior—and the choices people make about fairness.

Learning Sciences and Education

Study how psychology, technology, and education shape the mind—and the way students learn in real classrooms.

Potential Minors

Business | Mathematics | Biology | Data Science

 

View All Minors

Undecided? No problem. Apply now and explore before committing to a specific path. 

13:1

Student-to-Faculty Ratio 

270+

Student Clubs and Organizations

95%

Of First-Year Students Return for Their Sophomore Year (2025)

WPI Difference

Why Future Psychologists Choose WPI

Our project-based degree in psychological science gets you into real research from day one. 

Across seven-week terms and hands-on project work, you’ll:

Run

real experiments in faculty labs your first year

 

Apply

psychology to law, healthcare, education, neuroscience, and robotics

 

Pair

behavioral science with computer science, biology, engineering, or your specific interest

 

BUILD

a professional portfolio of completed projects at one of our 50+ project centers worldwide

CUSTOMIZE

your expertise by choosing a mix of electives or a concentration to match your interests

Collaborate

with teams across disciplines to develop solutions for today’s complex challenges

Resources & Tech You’ll Tap Into

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CEDAR & MAPLE Labs

Study creativity, learning, and wakeful rest in the Creativity, Education, Affect, and Rest Lab, or test math learning tools like Graspable Math in the MAPLE Lab.
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SNAP Lab

Track brain activity with EEG, fNIRS, and fMRI tools in the Social Neuroscience of Affective Processes Lab to map emotion, behavior, and long-term well-being.
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SEED & SPI Lab

Run social psychology experiments in the Social Psychology Inquiry Lab, or investigate health, stress hormones, and stigma in the Stigma, Eating, and Endocrinology Dynamics Lab.
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Research Opportunities 

  • Creativity, learning sciences, and STEM education research with faculty mentors
  • Social neuroscience studies using EEG, fNIRS, fMRI, and longitudinal behavior modeling
  • Biopsychosocial health, stigma, and health-equity projects spanning psychology and endocrinology
  • Mental health, mindfulness, trauma resilience, and natural-environment well-being research
  • Embodied math learning and K–12 educational technology interventions in the MAPLE Lab
  • Social psychology experiments examining how environmental factors influence attitudes, decisions, interactions, and cultural understanding

Project-Based Learning Experiences

Earn your degree in psychological science and apply theory and practice from day one. Build a professional portfolio with work that matters.

At WPI, learn in an immersive environment where classroom concepts transform into hands-on projects, thanks to our intensive, seven-week terms. Complete increasingly advanced projects for industry partners and community organizations, both local and global. Present your solutions directly to organizations that will implement what you create. 

Below, explore projects completed by psychological science students at WPI.

WPI students building project wood prototype
Global

📍London, England

Neurodevelopmental Health Outreach — Students developed public outreach materials to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder for a national nonprofit.

Global

📍Melbourne, Australia

Youth STEM Aspirations Research — Students investigated how museum experiences shape STEM career aspirations among youth in collaboration with Museums Victoria.

Global

📍Westborough, Mass.

Adolescent Mental Health Analysis — Students analyzed mental health data from a local school district to identify early intervention opportunities for adolescents.

Local

📍Worcester, Mass.

Virtual Therapy Access Study — Teams evaluated virtual shared spaces as a platform for expanding mental health therapy access among adolescents and young adults.

Industry

📍Worcester, Mass.

Mapping How the Brain Connects — Students compared two brain-imaging methods to measure how the brain’s networks stay connected, even at rest.

Industry

📍Worcester, Mass.

Implicit Attitudes Toward Women in STEM — Students examined how group identity and motivation shape implicit and explicit attitudes toward women in STEM fields.

Skills & Salary

Skills You'll Gain

Through WPI’s psychological science degree, you’ll design experiments, analyze human behavior with neurotech and statistical tools, and translate findings into real-world impact across classrooms, courtrooms, hospitals, and tech companies—graduating fluent in both the psychological and technological language modern employers demand.

Explore opportunities to build skills such as:

Experimental Design & Behavioral Data Analysis

 

Design rigorous psychology experiments and analyze results using SPSS, R, and Python to uncover what drives human decisions, learning, and behavior.


Build surveys in Qualtrics that track how people change over time, turning messy real-world data into clear, defensible conclusions.

Neuroscience Methods & Cognitive Testing

 

Get hands-on with EEG, fNIRS, and eye-tracking equipment in WPI labs to measure brain activity and attention while people solve problems, learn new skills, or make choices.


Interpret neuroimaging and cognitive testing data to connect what’s happening in the brain to behavior you can observe—the same methods used in clinical research, UX labs, and human-factors engineering.

Applied Research in Diverse Communities & Learning Environments

 

Conduct field research in schools, workplaces, and community settings using observational methods and behavioral coding schemes to study how diversity, instruction, and environment shape outcomes.


Apply findings from diversity science and learning sciences to real challenges in education, public health, HR, and marketing through WPI’s signature project-based work with outside partners.

Technical Leadership & Communication

 

Lead interdisciplinary project teams alongside engineers, computer scientists, and roboticists, translating behavioral insights into product, policy, and design decisions that work for real users.


Communicate complex research findings to nonscientific audiences—clients, executives, educators, and the public—through clear writing, data visualization, and evidence-based recommendations.

→ Explore the full curriculum in the academic catalog.

Student Voice

“Since the beginning of my freshman year, I have been a research associate in the SNAP (Social Neuroscience of Affective Processes) Lab at WPI. This experience opened my eyes to the world of academia and research in a field that I am passionate about.” 

Sophia Kouznetsov '26
Sophia Kouznetsov '26
BS in Bioinformatics & Computational Biology

While working on her research and academic goals, Sophia stays active by pursuing her love of dance and other extra-curricular activities.[...]

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Best Career Placement

The Princeton Review (2026)
Winner

Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments

Council on Undergraduate Research (2023)
Top 5.3%

Worldwide out of 21,000+ Universities 

Center for World University Rankings (2025)
Career

Psychological Science Career & Salary Outlook

Career Path 

Industry Sector 

Entry Level (0–5 years) 

Mid-Level (5–10 years) 

Senior Level (10+ years) 
Behavioral & Mental Health Healthcare

Behavioral Health Counselor

$59K

Licensed Mental Health Counselor 

$83K

Clinical Psychologist

$94K
Legal Services Legal

Paralegal 

$61K

Senior Paralegal 

$85K

Legal Operations Manager 

$134K
User Experience Research Tech

UX Research Analyst

$77K

Senior UX Researcher

$115K

Director of User Research

$190K
Market & Consumer Insights Business

Market Research Analyst

$77K

Senior Insights Analyst

$115K

Director of Consumer Insights

$190K
People Analytics Business

HR Analyst

$73K

Senior People Analytics Specialist

$110K

Director, People Analytics

$180K
Behavioral Research Research

Survey Researcher

$63K

Senior Behavioral Researcher

$95K

Director of Research

$155K
Learning Design Education

Instructional Designer

$75K

Senior Learning Designer

$112K

Director of Learning & Development

$185K
Public Health Education Healthcare

Health Education Specialist

$63K

Senior Health Educator

$95K

Director of Community Health

$155K

Salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Tuition & Costs
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Financing Your Future

College is a great investment in your future—and we’re here to help you plan for it. Explore WPI’s cost of attendance and learn how our Office of Financial Aid can guide you through options for funding your education. 

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Start Building Your Future Today

WPI’s simple formula helps students thrive: “Go to class. Do the work. Ask for help.” With our psychological science degree, you’ll gain the research skills, cross-disciplinary experience, and professional connections to shape healthcare, education, business, and human behavior.

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