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Adult psychiatrist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an adult psychiatrist. Adult psychiatrists usually study medicine, biology, or psychology. 32% of adult psychiatrists hold a doctoral degree, and 23% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 59 real adult psychiatrist resumes to see exactly what adult psychiatrist education sections show.

The most common colleges for adult psychiatrists are the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins University.

There are also many online adult psychiatrist courses to help get the education required to be an adult psychiatrist.

There are certain adult psychiatrist certifications that you should consider. These adult psychiatrist certifications include Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

What education do you need to become an adult psychiatrist?

What degree do you need to be an adult psychiatrist?

The most common degree for adult psychiatrists is doctoral degree, with 32% of adult psychiatrists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 23% and bachelor's degree degree at 3%.
  • Doctorate, 32%
  • Bachelor's, 23%
  • Master's, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 42%

What should I major in to become an adult psychiatrist?

You should major in medicine to become an adult psychiatrist. 30% of adult psychiatrists major in medicine. Other common majors for an adult psychiatrist include biology and psychology.

Most common colleges for adult psychiatrists

Adult psychiatrists often get their degrees at Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, and University of Virginia. Here are the most common colleges for adult psychiatrists in the US based on their resumes.
Adult psychiatrist common collegePercentages
Johns Hopkins University12.50%
Georgetown University8.33%
University of Virginia8.33%
Baylor College of Medicine4.17%
Harvard University4.17%

Best majors for adult psychiatrists

RankMajorPercentages
1Medicine30.4%
2Biology13.0%
3Psychology13.0%
4Literature4.3%
5Chemistry4.3%

Best colleges for adult psychiatrists

The best colleges for adult psychiatrists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An adult psychiatrist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for adult psychiatrists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become adult psychiatrists.

1. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

4. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

9. Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$12,960

Enrollment

16,157

10. Yeshiva University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$43,500

Enrollment

2,682

20 best online courses for adult psychiatrists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for adult psychiatrists

The most affordable schools for adult psychiatrists are SUNY Stony Brook, augusta university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for adult psychiatrists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for adult psychiatrists.

1. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

2. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Cost of attendance

33,654

6. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Cost of attendance

31,891

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adult psychiatrists

The hardest universities for adult psychiatrists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for adult psychiatrists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for adult psychiatrists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adult psychiatrists

The easiest schools for adult psychiatrists to get into are Linfield College, augusta university, and saint mary's university of minnesota.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adult psychiatrist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for adult psychiatrists.

1. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

2. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,172

3. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

4. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

5. Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, MO • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,117

6. Marshall University

Huntington, WV • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,100

7. University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

Greensburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,112

8. Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,186

9. University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,120

10. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

Average adult psychiatrist salary by education level

Adult psychiatrist education levelAdult psychiatrist salary
Doctorate Degree$257,759

Adult psychiatrist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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