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Mental health unit lead psychologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a mental health unit lead psychologist. Mental health unit lead psychologists usually study clinical psychology, psychology, or nursing. 30% of mental health unit lead psychologists hold a doctoral degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 27 real mental health unit lead psychologist resumes to see exactly what mental health unit lead psychologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for mental health unit lead psychologists are the Carlos Albizu University and the Carlos Albizu University.

There are also many online mental health unit lead psychologist courses to help get the education required to be a mental health unit lead psychologist.

What education do you need to become a mental health unit lead psychologist?

What degree do you need to be a mental health unit lead psychologist?

The most common degree for mental health unit lead psychologists is doctoral degree, with 30% of mental health unit lead psychologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 30% and master's degree degree at 20%.
  • Doctorate, 30%
  • Master's, 30%
  • Bachelor's, 20%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a mental health unit lead psychologist?

You should major in clinical psychology to become a mental health unit lead psychologist. 33% of mental health unit lead psychologists major in clinical psychology. Other common majors for a mental health unit lead psychologist include psychology and nursing.

Most common colleges for mental health unit lead psychologists

Mental health unit lead psychologists often get their degrees at Carlos Albizu University, Illinois State University, and Central Michigan University. Here are the most common colleges for mental health unit lead psychologists in the US based on their resumes.
Mental health unit lead psychologist common collegePercentages
Carlos Albizu University16.67%
Illinois State University16.67%
Central Michigan University8.33%
Sonoma State University8.33%
Azusa Pacific University8.33%

Best majors for mental health unit lead psychologists

RankMajorPercentages
1Clinical Psychology33.3%
2Psychology23.8%
3Nursing9.5%
4Marketing4.8%
5Business Communications4.8%

Best colleges for mental health unit lead psychologists

The best colleges for mental health unit lead psychologists are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.

A mental health unit lead 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 mental health unit lead 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 mental health unit lead psychologists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$15,887

Enrollment

23,202

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for mental health unit lead psychologists

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6. Social Determinants of Health

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This is an introductory course on social determinants of population health with a focus on the United States. The course will introduce you to, or reinforce your knowledge of, issues related to health that consider behavioral, psychological and structural factors in population health beyond the healthcare system. We will examine social, economic, and political factors that contribute to health inequalities and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health when the goal is to achieve...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for mental health unit lead psychologists

The most affordable schools for mental health unit lead psychologists 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 mental health unit lead 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 mental health unit lead psychologists.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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 mental health unit lead psychologists

The hardest universities for mental health unit lead psychologists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for mental health unit lead 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 mental health unit lead 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mental health unit lead psychologists

The easiest schools for mental health unit lead psychologists to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mental health unit lead 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 mental health unit lead psychologists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

7. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average mental health unit lead psychologist salary by education level

According to our data, mental health unit lead psychologists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $63,464 annually. Mental health unit lead psychologists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $46,991.
Mental health unit lead psychologist education levelMental health unit lead psychologist salary
Master's Degree$63,464
Bachelor's Degree$46,991

Mental health unit lead psychologist 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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