‘It sits at the meeting point of science and the humanities’: should you study psychology?

Psychology has become one of the most popular courses at university. That’s no surprise as the insights it gives to our behaviour can help in a huge variety of careers

For Niamh Mulcahy, 21, graduating with a psychology degree from the University of Bath has already paid off. After navigating a competitive graduate jobs market this year, she secured a sales role with a FTSE 100 company starting in September.

“My degree involved a lot of data analysis, which has been really useful in job applications,” she says. “The course felt very current. We covered everything from neuroscience to forensic psychology, and my dissertation was on ‘incels’. I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour and why people make the decisions they do.”

Mulcahy is not alone. Psychology has become one of the UK’s top subjects at university and is now the second most popular A-level choice after maths. It consistently ranks among the most searched subjects in the Guardian’s University Guide, behind medicine, law and economics. According to Ucas, applications for psychology courses were up 4.9% in January 2026 compared with the previous year.

So what explains psychology’s enduring appeal? At its core, the subject is about understanding how people think, feel and behave. But academics argue its popularity goes far beyond a growing interest in mental health.

Heather Cleland Woods, from the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow, believes the subject is booming because it develops skills that are becoming increasingly valuable in the age of AI. “Psychology teaches communication, critical evaluation and collaboration,” she says. “Those are absolutely key skills.”

James Ainge, head of psychology and neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, says the discipline’s breadth is one of its biggest attractions. “It sits at the meeting point of science and the humanities,” he says. “At one end of the spectrum you’re asking people about their opinions and feelings. At the other, you’re studying neuroscience and computational models.” That combination also teaches students how to weigh evidence from multiple sources and think critically, he adds, abilities that are becoming more important than ever.

There is also growing interest among young people in subjects that feel relevant to the challenges they see around them. “Students are interested in real-world issues,” says Jess Lomas, recruitment lead for psychology at the University of Sheffield. Psychology gives them a framework for understanding topics like the climate crisis, AI, smartphone use and mental health, while also offering the chance to “make a positive difference to people’s lives”.

The degree’s versatility is another major draw. Graduates go on to careers in healthcare, professional psychology, research, teaching and academia, but also into marketing, government, consultancy, HR and the corporate world. “It sets you up well for a huge range of careers,” says Ainge.

For prospective students, choosing between courses is important. Psychology is usually offered as either a BA or a BSc at undergraduate level. The key thing is to look at where psychology sits within the university. Is it part of the psychology department, or the social sciences faculty or health sciences faculty? That will give you a sense of the course’s emphasis. Many universities also offer joint honours degrees, allowing students to combine psychology with subjects such as education or statistics. What A-levels you need depends on the university: a science or maths A-level would generally be seen as an advantage for a competitive BSc course, and psychology A-level would give access to both routes.

Andrew Welchman, professor of neuroinnovation at the University of Birmingham, also recommends looking for courses accredited by the British Psychological Society. Accreditation ensures programmes meet consistent national standards and cover the core content required for graduates who may later want to train as professional psychologists.