by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, clinical psychology was the 139th most popular major nationwide with 5,125 degrees awarded. This is approximately the same as the 5,082 graduates the prior year.
This year's Best Clinical Psychology Schools ranking compares 157 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of clinical psychology programs later in this article.
A major in clinical psychology prepares you for careers in which talking to others to convey information effectively is crucial. Required skills include giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Specific clinical psychology careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are various different levels of clinical psychology degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in clinical psychology to something that takes less time like a . Clinical Psychology programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to clinical psychology, with approximately 34.6% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to clinical psychology tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 35.6% |
| Doctoral Degree | 27.5% |
| Master’s Degree | 14.7% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 13.3% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.2% |
About 59.0% of workers in careers related to clinical psychology obtain at least master's degrees. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in clinical psychology have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which clinical psychology career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your clinical psychology degree? Clinical Psychology careers are expected to grow 9.1% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to clinical psychology.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1,071,700 | 8.0% |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | 168,500 | 14.2% |
| Psychology Professors | 54,000 | 15.1% |
As you might expect, salaries for clinical psychology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for clinical psychology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers clinical psychology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Managers | $115,590 |
| Psychology Professors | $88,490 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | $85,340 |
With over 332 different clinical psychology degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased clinical psychology school rankings to help you with this.
Clinical Psychology is one of 16 different types of Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Counseling Psychology | 9,463 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 5,497 |
| School Psychology | 3,230 |
| Industrial & Organizational Psychology | 2,386 |
| Forensic Psychology | 2,290 |
