Which is better for undergraduate psychology: the University of Maryland or UVA?

For an undergraduate focused specifically on psychology, the University of Maryland has a slight advantage because of its research breadth and unusually strong access to psychology-related opportunities around the Washington, D.C., and Bethesda area.

Maryland’s large research-university environment is especially useful for a student who wants to test several subfields before deciding on a direction, or who may be considering research, neuroscience, public health, policy, or graduate school. The psychology major can be paired with substantial quantitative, research-methods, and lab experience, which matters for competitive psychology graduate programs.

UVA offers an excellent psychology education and may be more appealing for students who value a smaller-feeling residential setting, close-knit campus culture, and seminar-style academic experience.

For a student whose priority is the widest range of research and psychology-adjacent internships during college, Maryland provides the more advantageous setting. UVA can still be the more compelling choice when its campus environment, cost, or overall academic fit is meaningfully stronger for you.