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Clinical psychologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychologists usually study clinical psychology, psychology, or counseling psychology. 42% of clinical psychologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 35% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 3,565 real clinical psychologist resumes to see exactly what clinical psychologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical psychologists are the Carlos Albizu University and the Carlos Albizu University.
There are also many online clinical psychologist courses to help get the education required to be a clinical psychologist.
There are certain clinical psychologist certifications that you should consider. These clinical psychologist certifications include Certified in Hospital Psychology (CHP) and Psychiatry.
What education do you need to become a clinical psychologist?
What degree do you need to be a clinical psychologist?
- Bachelor's, 42%
- Doctorate, 35%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a clinical psychologist?
- Clinical Psychology, 40%
- Psychology, 37%
- Other Majors, 13%
Most common colleges for clinical psychologists
| Clinical psychologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Carlos Albizu University | 21.11% |
| Alliant International University | 10.56% |
| Argosy University | 7.04% |
| The Chicago School of Professional Psychology | 5.87% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 4.69% |
Best majors for clinical psychologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clinical Psychology | 39.9% |
| 2 | Psychology | 37.1% |
| 3 | Counseling Psychology | 8.3% |
| 4 | Experimental Psychology | 1.5% |
| 5 | Mental Health Counseling | 1.5% |
Best colleges for clinical psychologists
The best colleges for clinical psychologists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A clinical psychologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clinical psychologists. 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 clinical psychologists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,167
Enrollment
30,279
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
20 best online courses for clinical psychologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical psychologists
The most affordable schools for clinical psychologists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for clinical psychologists 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 clinical psychologists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical psychologists
The hardest universities for clinical psychologists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for clinical psychologists 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 clinical psychologists 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical psychologists
The easiest schools for clinical psychologists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical psychologist 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 clinical psychologists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average clinical psychologist salary by education level
| Clinical psychologist education level | Clinical psychologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,247 |
| Doctorate Degree | $105,412 |
Clinical psychologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025