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Clinical therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical therapist. Clinical therapists usually study social work, psychology, or counseling psychology. 51% of clinical therapists hold a master's degree, and 42% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 5,700 real clinical therapist resumes to see exactly what clinical therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical therapists are the Wayne State University and the Wayne State University.
There are also many online clinical therapist courses to help get the education required to be a clinical therapist.
There are certain clinical therapist certifications that you should consider. These clinical therapist certifications include Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC).
What education do you need to become a clinical therapist?
What degree do you need to be a clinical therapist?
- Master's, 51%
- Bachelor's, 42%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a clinical therapist?
- Social Work, 27%
- Psychology, 22%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for clinical therapists
| Clinical therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Wayne State University | 20.06% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.73% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.44% |
| Michigan State University | 5.86% |
| Argosy University | 5.56% |
Best majors for clinical therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 27.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 21.7% |
| 3 | Counseling Psychology | 7.9% |
| 4 | School Counseling | 7.6% |
| 5 | Mental Health Counseling | 7.4% |
Best colleges for clinical therapists
The best colleges for clinical therapists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A clinical therapist 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 therapists. 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 therapists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
20 best online courses for clinical therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical therapists
The most affordable schools for clinical therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for clinical therapists 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 therapists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical therapists
The hardest universities for clinical therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for clinical therapists 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 therapists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical therapists
The easiest schools for clinical therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical therapist 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 therapists.
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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
Average clinical therapist salary by education level
| Clinical therapist education level | Clinical therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,506 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,890 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,847 |
Clinical therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025