APA-Accredited Doctor of Psychology Programs
PsyD Programs, Compared on Published Data
PsyD programs differ in cost, completion, internship match and exam results.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group
Where to Start With PsyD Programs
- 117 programs
Compare All PsyD Programs
Every APA-accredited PsyD program that admits new students, scored on seven published factors.
- 5 lists
Choose a Specialty
Lists for clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, forensic psychology and neuropsychology.
- 33 jurisdictions
Search by State
Every one of the 33 jurisdictions with a ranked program has a ranking of its own, with its licensing rules and pay.
- 104 programs
Weigh the Tuition
Programs that publish their tuition for the incoming class, from the lowest to the highest.
- 93 programs
Check EPPP Pass Rates
First-time EPPP pass rates as ASPPB publishes them, highest first.
- 6 job pages
See Careers and Pay
What a PsyD leads to, with federal pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Find PsyD Programs by Specialty
APA accredits each PsyD program in clinical, counseling or school psychology, or in a combined area, and a combined program appears on each of its lists with the same national score. The focus lists hold programs whose own pages name that emphasis.
- 92 programs
Clinical Psychology
APA-accredited clinical PsyD programs
- 14 programs
Counseling Psychology
APA-accredited counseling PsyD programs
- 19 programs
School Psychology
APA-accredited school and combined PsyD programs
- 17 programs
Forensic Psychology
Programs with a forensic emphasis or track
- 26 programs
Neuropsychology
Programs with a neuropsychology emphasis or track
PsyD Programs by State
Every state or territory with a ranked program has a ranking of its own, with the state’s licensing rules and psychologist pay beside it. These ten have the most ranked programs, and the states page links all 33.
Careers and Pay After a PsyD
BLS says “Clinical and counseling psychologists typically need a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in psychology or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree.” (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, read October 14, 2026.) Each job page says whether a PsyD is the standard route, a step on a longer pathway or one option among several.
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$100,580
Median annual pay, clinical and counseling psychologists
BLS OEWS median pay, May 2025 -
$95,990
Median annual pay, school psychologists
BLS OEWS median pay, May 2025 -
75,990
Employed clinical and counseling psychologists in the United States
BLS OEWS jobs count, May 2025
Psychology Careers by Job Title
Psychologist Salary Pages
How the PsyD Programs Are Scored
Every ranked program is scored against every other on seven factors that add to 100 points. Each factor is scored on a 0 to 10 bar. The weighted total of those bars, times 10, is the score out of 100, to one decimal. It is an absolute score, not scaled to the top program, so no program reads 100 unless it is the best on every factor. State and specialty lists keep the national scores.
- 20 points CostWhat a full-time year of tuition costs, compared with every other ranked PsyD program.
- 20 points Graduate EarningsWhat the school’s doctoral graduates in clinical, counseling and applied psychology earn, from federal data.
- 15 points CompletionHow many students who start the program stay to finish it.
- 15 points Internship and Licensure OutcomesHow the program’s students fare in the internship match and on the national licensing exam.
- 10 points Track RecordHow many of the program’s students reach the internship year each year.
- 10 points Credential AlignmentThe program’s accreditation status with the American Psychological Association.
- 10 points Program ReputationA 0 to 4 rating made by an automated language model from the program’s published facts, the same way for every program.
This site earns money from sponsored school listings served by the education ad network Esyoh, which are marked as ads wherever they appear. Schools pay to appear in those listings, not in the rankings: a listing is not scored, and no listing can change a ranking. Rankings come from published records, and program details from each school’s own published pages.
Read the Full Method, Version 2.0, Updated October 14, 2026
Read the PsyD Data Blog, Answers Counted From the Program Data
Questions About PsyD Programs
What Is a PsyD?
APA calls it “a professional degree in psychology (similar to the MD in medicine or a JD in law)” and says its programs “focus heavily on the application of psychological science to provide a service to individuals or groups.” (APA, Frequently Asked Questions About Graduate School, read October 14, 2026.) The guide to the PsyD covers the degree in full.
How Many PsyD Programs Does This Site Rank?
117 APA-accredited PsyD programs are ranked. 16 hold accreditation on contingency and 1 on probation, and each card prints the exact APA status. A program APA lists as inactive, or whose school has announced a closure or paused admissions, is never ranked. How the PsyD programs are scored explains the entry bar and the seven factors.
How Long Does a PsyD Program Take?
APA’s accreditation standards require “a minimum of 3 full-time academic years of graduate study (or the equivalent thereof) plus an internship prior to receiving the doctoral degree.” (APA Standards of Accreditation, read October 14, 2026.) Among the 108 ranked programs whose APA disclosures print a median time to complete, the middle figure is 5 years. How long a PsyD takes breaks the years down.
Is a PsyD Different From a PhD?
APA says “The PhD is generally regarded as a research degree” and describes the PsyD as a professional degree, and it adds that “Both PsyD and PhD programs can prepare students to be licensed psychologists.” (APA, Frequently Asked Questions About Graduate School, read October 14, 2026; APA Psychology Student Network, read October 14, 2026.) See PsyD vs. PhD for the comparison.
Can You Earn an APA-Accredited PsyD Online?
APA’s standards say that the mentoring and supervision residency provides “cannot be met in programs that are substantially or completely online” and require at least 1 year of which must be in full-time residence (or the equivalent thereof) at the degree-granting program. (APA Standards of Accreditation, read October 14, 2026.) Online and Hybrid PsyD Programs lists the programs whose own pages describe a hybrid or low-residency format.
Does a PsyD Alone Let You Practice as a Psychologist?
No. The degree is one requirement, and the license comes from a state board. BLS says that in most states, practicing psychology or using the title of “psychologist” requires licensure. ASPPB says “All of our 66 member jurisdictions require the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)” and “Each of our 66 jurisdictional boards determines its own requirements for licensure.” (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, read October 14, 2026; ASPPB, EPPP Exam Types, read October 14, 2026; ASPPB, Requirements to Practice, read October 14, 2026.) Psychologist licensure by state and the EPPP cover the steps.
How Much Do Psychologists Earn?
In May 2025 the median annual wage was $100,580 for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) and $95,990 for school psychologists (SOC 19-3034). Ten percent of clinical and counseling psychologists earned less than $55,170 and ten percent earned more than $180,960. (BLS OEWS profile for SOC 19-3033, May 2025.) Psychologist salary has the pay by state.