Psychology
4–5 years- You study
- Developmental psychology, Counselling
- Jobs
- Psychologist, School counsellor, Researcher
- Average for the social sciences field · Age 25–29
- Sample too small
For the social sciences field in the Labour Force Survey3.
Forecasts published in other countries for the occupation Psychologists: leaning to growth (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH); Employment and Social Development Canada, June 2025 · Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 – Muharram 1447 AH)1,2. They are not a forecast for the Saudi market, nor by DataPulse.
Where is Psychology taught?
Taught at 21 universities: 17 government and 4 private.
Riyadh
- Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityGovernment · men and women
- King Saud UniversityGovernment · men and women
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman UniversityGovernment · women
- Shaqra UniversityGovernment · men and women
Makkah
- King Abdulaziz UniversityGovernment
- Taif UniversityGovernment
- Umm Al-Qura UniversityGovernment · men and women
- University of JeddahGovernment · men and women
- Dar Al-Hekma UniversityPrivate · women
- Effat UniversityPrivate
- Fakeeh College for Medical SciencesPrivate
Qassim
- Qassim UniversityGovernment · men and women
- Onaizah CollegesPrivate
Eastern Province
- Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityGovernment
Asir
- King Khalid UniversityGovernment · men and women
- University of BishaGovernment
Hail
- University of HailGovernment
Northern Borders
- Northern Border UniversityGovernment · men and women
Jazan
- Jazan UniversityGovernment
Najran
- Najran UniversityGovernment · men and women
Al-Baha
- Al-Baha UniversityGovernment
From university pages, admission guides and the Ministry’s Study in Saudi platform4. Gender is tagged where the university publishes it per programme.
Compare with…
A side-by-side view, not a judgement that one major is better. Figures are for the broad field, so two majors in one field share the same figures. Figures: bachelor’s, both sexes, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)35
| Psychology | Sociology | Social work |
|---|---|---|
| Field in the survey | ||
| Social sciences, journalism and media | Social sciences, journalism and media | Health and welfare |
| Length of study | ||
| 4–5 years | 4–5 years | 4–5 years |
| Taught at | ||
| 21 universities | 7 universities | 9 universities |
| Men | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Women | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Holders of the field working | ||
| 92.0% | 92.0% | 93.5% |
| Unemployment in the field | ||
| 8.0% | 8.0% | 6.5% |
| Average wage in the field (SAR) | ||
| 10,850 | 10,850 | 12,437 |
| An occupation of its graduates and generative AI | ||
| — | — | not exposed |
Availability for men and women from university pages and the Ministry’s programmes platform; last checked 24 October 2026 (13 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
What do Psychology students learn?
Studying human behavior, thinking and feelings, and how people grow and learn.
- Developmental psychology
- Counselling
- Psychological testing
- Social psychology
In Arabic: علم النفس
How many years is Psychology?
4–5 years. The length may differ between universities depending on the foundation year.
What jobs do Psychology graduates do?
Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:
- Psychologist
- School counsellor
- Researcher
- HR specialist
You sit with people and help them in a clinic, school or hospital, mostly by day.
- Sometimes outside the city
Clinical practice may need registration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
What do Psychology graduates earn?
GASTAT does not publish pay for each major; this is the average for the “Social sciences, journalism and media” field among Saudi bachelor’s holders, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3.
What is unemployment in the social sciences field?
Unemployment among Saudi graduates of the field (bachelor’s, all ages)3:
For the whole field, not this major alone. Past measurement, not a forecast.
Official decisions and signals
- The job “Psychologist” is somewhat affected by AI (1 of 4). May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH) (occupation, not major)6
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Psychologists” (BLS 19-3030), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Psychologists” (COPS 31200), 2024–2033 (1445–1455 AH).
- General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Labour Force Survey: Saudi bachelor’s holders in “Social sciences, journalism and media”, 2024 (1445–1446 AH).
- Programme pages on university websites, last checked 26 October 2026 (15 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
- International Labour Organization, global index of occupational exposure to generative AI, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
- International Labour Organization · occupation code 2634, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).