10 Easiest Master's in Psychology Programs to Get Into 2026

Getting into graduate school can feel like the biggest hurdle standing between you and a psychology career, especially if your undergraduate GPA wasn't perfect or you'd rather skip the GRE entirely. The good news is that plenty of respected master's programs in psychology have scaled back these barriers without cutting corners on the education itself.

This article highlights 10 schools known for accessible admission requirements, along with a look at what actually makes a graduate program easier to get into. You'll also find details on cost, financial aid, and career outlook, so you can weigh accessibility against everything else that matters in your decision.

What Makes a Master's in Psychology Program Easier To Get Into?

Admission barriers vary a lot from one psychology master's program to the next, and a handful of specific policies tend to separate accessible programs from highly selective ones. Psychology programs that waive the GRE, accept a broader GPA range, and skip a required interview all lower the bar for entry without necessarily changing what happens once you're enrolled.

Rolling or year-round admissions also make a real difference, since a single fixed deadline forces you to have every piece of your application ready months in advance. Programs that accept applicants from a range of undergraduate majors, rather than requiring an extensive list of psychology-specific prerequisites, open the door to a much wider pool of prospective students.

Easiest Master's in Psychology Programs to Get Into

The schools below stand out for combining accessible admission requirements with solid academic programs, which makes them worth a close look if getting in is your biggest concern. Here's what each one offers.

1. National University

National University’s online Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology is a 30-credit program with specializations in general psychology, gender and sexual fluidity, and research and teaching. Standard admission requires a 2.5 overall GPA or a 2.75 GPA across your final 60 credits, but applicants with GPAs between 2.0 and 2.49 may be considered for probationary admission without submitting an entrance-exam score.

National University is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Scholarships and personalized financial aid assistance are available, although probationary students generally cannot receive financial aid until they complete the required graduate credits with a cumulative 3.0 GPA.

2. Franklin University

Franklin University offers a 100% online Master of Science (MS) in Business Psychology that connects psychological principles with leadership, employee development, and organizational performance. You do not need to complete prerequisite courses or submit GRE or GMAT scores, and applicants with GPAs between 2.25 and 2.49 receive conditional admission automatically.

Franklin is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), giving you assurance that the university meets recognized academic and administrative standards. Its financial aid resources include federal aid, scholarships, payment options, private loans, and assistance from financial aid counselors.

3. Capella University

Capella University’s online MS in Psychology includes specializations such as general psychology, educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, and sport psychology. Admission requires an accredited bachelor’s degree and a minimum 2.3 GPA, while the application does not require a fee, GRE scores, or GMAT scores.

Capella holds institutional accreditation from the HLC, and the psychology program is offered through both structured GuidedPath and self-paced FlexPath formats. Depending on eligibility, you may be able to use federal aid, scholarships, employer benefits, military benefits, or a Capella Progress Reward to reduce your educational expenses.

4. Walden University

Walden University offers an online MS in Psychology with a general psychology specialization that explores areas such as human development, social behavior, and research methods. Its published admissions criteria ask for a bachelor’s degree, an online application, and official transcripts, while the program page does not list a minimum GPA, application fee, or admissions essay.

Walden is institutionally accredited by the HLC, and its online format can be helpful if you need to complete graduate coursework around a full-time job. Eligible students can explore federal and state aid, scholarships, university grants, military benefits, and other financing options through Walden’s financial aid office.

5. Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) online MS in Psychology offers concentrations in child and developmental psychology, forensic psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology. SNHU does not require an application fee, test scores, or a college essay, although students without sufficient psychology preparation may need to complete up to three foundation courses.

SNHU is institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), and the psychology degree is a nonlicensure program intended for careers that do not require clinical credentials. You can submit the FAFSA to pursue federal aid and may also qualify for institutional scholarships, military benefits, or employer tuition assistance.

6. Bellevue University

Bellevue University offers an online MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology that examines workplace motivation, talent development, assessment, and organizational effectiveness. The university normally asks for a 2.5 GPA across your final 60 undergraduate credits, but it provides an appeal process for applicants who fall below that threshold.

Bellevue holds institutional accreditation from the HLC, and its cohort format allows you to concentrate on one accelerated course at a time. Available financial aid options may include federal loans, scholarships, grants, work-study opportunities, military benefits, private loans, and employer assistance.

7. University of West Alabama

The University of West Alabama’s (UWA) online MS in Applied Psychology is a 31-credit program that can typically be completed in one to two years. Its published program-specific checklist asks for an application and official transcripts verifying a bachelor’s degree without listing a GRE requirement, essay, recommendations, or minimum GPA, but you should confirm all university-level requirements with an enrollment counselor.

UWA is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and this particular program does not lead to independent professional licensure. The university’s financial aid office helps eligible graduate students explore scholarships, grants, loans, and other forms of assistance.

8. Liberty University

Liberty University’s online MA in Applied Psychology offers specializations in general psychology, developmental psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, and public mental health. You can apply with a bachelor’s degree in any field and a minimum 2.5 GPA, and the university does not require standardized test scores for admission.

Liberty holds institutional accreditation from SACSCOC, and its applied psychology curriculum can support nonclinical careers or further graduate study. Eligible students may use federal financial aid, scholarships, grants, military benefits, or other university-approved funding options to help manage their expenses.

9. Faulkner University

Faulkner University’s online MS in General Psychology is a 30-credit, nonlicensure program designed around short course terms and a Christian academic perspective. Applicants who do not meet the regular GPA criteria may pursue conditional admission by providing supporting materials, while students missing psychology prerequisites can complete the required courses online through Faulkner.

Faulkner is institutionally accredited by SACSCOC, providing recognized accreditation for its undergraduate and graduate programs. Graduate students can submit the FAFSA and may qualify for federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans or private educational loans.

10. Tiffin University

Tiffin University’s online MS in Psychology uses asynchronous, seven-week courses and can typically be completed in approximately 18 months. A 3.0 undergraduate GPA is preferred rather than presented as an absolute cutoff, and applicants with lower GPAs may be considered after submitting additional materials requested by the admissions committee.

Tiffin holds institutional accreditation from the HLC, and its psychology master’s is a nonlicensure program rather than a clinical training pathway. The university does not charge a graduate application fee and offers grants, scholarships, and other financial aid resources for eligible master’s students.

How We Rank Schools

To create this list, we review data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), along with program-level details published by each university.

For this ranking, we focused specifically on the barriers that affect whether a student gets admitted in the first place, rather than factors that only matter after enrollment. Here's a closer look at how we approached it.

• Accreditation: Every school on this list holds regional accreditation, which keeps degrees recognized by employers and eligible for further graduate study.
• Admission requirements: We prioritized programs that waive the GRE, accept a broad range of undergraduate majors, and use rolling or frequent admissions cycles.
• Online availability: We favored programs with online or hybrid formats, since flexible delivery often pairs with more accessible admissions overall.
• Student outcomes: We looked at completion rates and post-graduation results, since an accessible admissions process should still lead to a program students can successfully finish.

Learn more about our ranking methodology.

How Long Does It Take to Earn a Master's in Psychology?

Most master's programs in psychology take about two years of full-time study, regardless of how accessible the admissions process was to begin with. Part-time students, particularly those balancing full-time work, often take closer to three years, since coursework demands stay consistent even when getting in was relatively straightforward.

A handful of programs on this list offer accelerated psychology master’s or non-thesis tracks that can shorten the timeline to 18 months or so for motivated, full-time students. Admissions ease and program length are really two separate variables, so it's worth confirming a program's expected timeline directly rather than assuming an easier entry point means a shorter degree.

Are Master's Programs Easier to Get Into Than Doctoral Programs?

Master's programs in psychology are generally far easier to get into than doctoral programs, particularly funded PhD tracks in clinical or counseling psychology, which often admit only a small handful of applicants each year. Master's programs typically don't require the same level of research experience or faculty mentor matching that doctoral admissions committees expect, which opens the door to a much wider applicant pool.

That said, admissions difficulty still varies quite a bit among master's programs themselves, so it's worth comparing GPA requirements, GRE policies, and prerequisite coursework across schools rather than assuming all master's programs are equally accessible. Choosing a program with a genuinely low barrier to entry can also serve as a useful stepping stone if a funded doctoral program is your longer-term goal.

How Much Does a Master's in Psychology Cost?

Tuition for a master's in psychology generally runs between $10,000 and $30,000 total, with public universities and schools offering flat online rates typically landing on the lower end of that range. Programs with more accessible admissions requirements aren't necessarily cheaper, so it's worth comparing cost separately from how easy a program is to get into.

Institutional scholarships and graduate assistantships can bring the real cost down further at several of the schools on this list, particularly for students willing to take on part-time research or teaching work. Comparing total cost of attendance across a handful of accessible programs gives a clearer picture than focusing on tuition alone.

Financial Aid for Master's in Psychology Programs

Financial aid for an accessible master's program works largely the same way as it does for any graduate degree, though rolling admissions can sometimes affect how quickly aid gets processed. Here's a breakdown of the most common funding sources.

• Federal student loans: Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans remain available regardless of a program's admissions requirements, and completing the FAFSA each year keeps this funding source open.
• Institutional scholarships: Many of the schools on this list offer scholarships specifically for incoming graduate students, often based on undergraduate GPA or professional experience rather than a competitive application process.
• Graduate assistantships: Some accessible programs still offer a limited number of teaching or research assistantships, which can provide a tuition discount or stipend in exchange for part-time departmental work.
• Employer tuition assistance: Students already working in education, healthcare, or human services can sometimes access employer tuition reimbursement, particularly if a psychology master's supports their current role.

How To Choose the Right Master's in Psychology Program

Picking an accessible program means looking past the admissions requirements alone and confirming the degree still fits your longer-term goals. Keep these factors in mind as you compare schools.

• GRE and GPA policies: Confirm exactly what a program requires, since some schools waive the GRE outright while others only waive it above a certain GPA threshold.
• Prerequisite coursework: Check whether a program requires specific undergraduate psychology courses before admission, since this can add time and cost if you're coming from an unrelated major.
• Accreditation: Make sure any program you're considering holds regional accreditation, and confirm program-specific accreditation if you're pursuing a licensure-track counseling or school psychology degree.
• Career alignment: Look for a program whose curriculum and concentrations actually match your career goals, since an easy admissions process only pays off if the degree itself leads somewhere useful.

Career Outlook With a Master's in Psychology

A master's in psychology, even one earned through an accessible admissions process, can lead to solid career outcomes. Marriage and family therapists, a common path for psychology master's graduates who pursue licensure, earn a median annual wage of $63,780, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 13% employment growth for the role from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Graduates pursuing other paths can also expect solid demand, since psychologists overall earn a median wage of $94,310 with 6% projected growth according to the BLS. An accessible admissions process doesn't limit these outcomes in any meaningful way, since employers and licensing boards care about accreditation and coursework rather than how selective your program's application process happened to be.

FAQs About Easy-Admission Master's in Psychology Programs

Students weighing an accessible master's program in psychology tend to ask a similar set of questions before applying. Here are answers to the ones that come up most.

Is a Master's in Psychology Worth It?

A master's in psychology tends to be worth it for students aiming at licensure-track careers or roles that pay meaningfully more than a bachelor's degree alone typically supports. The value holds regardless of how accessible the admissions process was, since what ultimately matters for your career is the accreditation and coursework behind the degree.

Is a Master's in Psychology Respected by Employers Even With Easier Admission?

Employers generally evaluate a psychology master's degree based on its accreditation and curriculum rather than how selective the admissions process happened to be. An accessible program from a regionally accredited university carries the same weight in a hiring decision as a more competitive one, provided the coursework and any required licensure are equivalent.

Do Easier-to-Enter Programs Offer the Same Quality Education?

Accessible admissions and academic rigor are two separate things, and many programs with low admission barriers still maintain the same coursework and learning outcomes as more selective schools. It's worth checking a program's accreditation and, where relevant, program-specific accreditation to confirm the education itself meets the standard you're looking for.

Can You Get Into a Psychology Master's Without a Psychology Bachelor's Degree?

Many accessible master's programs accept students from related fields like sociology, education, or human services, sometimes with a short list of prerequisite courses to complete either before or during the program. It's worth confirming prerequisite requirements directly with admissions, since policies vary quite a bit from school to school.

What GPA Do You Need for an Accessible Psychology Master's Program?

Most of the schools on this list admit students with an undergraduate GPA in the 2.5 to 2.75 range, though a few accept students who have slightly lower GPAs with additional application materials like a personal statement. Checking a program's specific GPA policy early can save time if your undergraduate record doesn't meet a more selective school's cutoff.

Explore Master's in Psychology Programs

These 10 schools show that an accessible admissions process doesn't mean settling for a lesser degree. Browse program listings on Learn.org and reach out to admissions offices directly to confirm current GRE policies and application deadlines before you apply.