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2025 Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools

358 Colleges in the United States
24,000 Master's Degrees
$52,594 Avg Early-Career Salary
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #7 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 358 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 24,000 master's degrees in clinical, counseling & applied psychology during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology School for Your Master's Degree

Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools The clinical psychology master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for clinical, counseling & applied psychology students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Clinical Psychology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The clinical psychology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology in the United States

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for a Master's in Clinical Psychology

1

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the clinical psychology program make an average of $43,591 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Northwestern University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Students who graduate with their master's from the clinical psychology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $52,641.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Pennsylvania

3

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology needs to check out University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from University of Southern California make $18,903 more than the typical clinical psychology student.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Southern California

4

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology has to check out Northeastern University. Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program at Northeastern University earn $6,758 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Northeastern University

5

DU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Denver.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the clinical psychology program make around $48,123 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Denver

6

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago get an earnings boost of approximately $10,524 over the typical earnings of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Loyola University Chicago

7

Located in the small city of Melbourne, Florida Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology major at Florida Institute of Technology earn $17,322 above the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Florida Institute of Technology

8
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Santa Clara.

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from Santa Clara University make $12,947 more than the typical clinical psychology student.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Santa Clara University

9

Pepperdine is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Malibu.

Master's students who receive their degree from the clinical psychology program earn around $49,456 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Pepperdine University

10
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
10 Annual Graduates

UF is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville.More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Florida

11
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
1 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Vanderbilt University

12

Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public university located in the city of College Station.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station earn a boost of approximately $7,909 above the average income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Texas A&M University - College Station

13
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

Located in the large city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from University of San Francisco make $12,764 more than the typical clinical psychology student.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of San Francisco

14
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
1,016 Annual Graduates
$57,834 Median Starting Salary

National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego.

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from National University receive $5,240 more than the average clinical psychology grad.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from National University

15

UCONN is a very large public university located in the town of Storrs.

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program at University of Connecticut get $2,428 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Connecticut

16
11 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from San Diego State University

17

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from George Washington University get an earnings boost of about $5,947 over the average earnings of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from George Washington University

18
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the clinical psychology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $51,951.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Boston University

19

Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Riverside.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from California Baptist University earn a boost of about $2,705 over the typical income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from California Baptist University

20

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Athens.

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology major at University of Georgia make $12,368 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Georgia

21

Located in the city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program at Simmons University make $15,579 above the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Simmons University

22
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Located in the large suburb of Fort Lauderdale, NUS Florida is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the clinical psychology program earn about $46,761 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Nova Southeastern University

23

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from California State University - Monterey Bay make $31,418 more than the standard clinical psychology student.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from California State University - Monterey Bay

24

Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from California State University - Long Beach get an earnings boost of about $28,406 above the typical income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from California State University - Long Beach

25
Hofstra crest
Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY

Hofstra is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Hempstead.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from Hofstra University get an earnings boost of approximately $10,586 over the average income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Hofstra University

Rest of the Top Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools

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27
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
28
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30
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
31
32

33

34
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
35
36
Pacific Graduate School of Psychology crest
Palo Alto University
Palo Alto, CA
37
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, NY
38
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
39
40
41

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46
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48
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50

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 358 different United States clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
52 Queens College Queens, NY
53 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
54 Adelphi University Garden City, NY
55 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
56 DePaul University Chicago, IL
57 La Salle University Philadelphia, PA
58 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
59 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
60 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
61 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
62 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
63 Hunter College New York, NY
64 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
65 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
66 Seattle University Seattle, WA
67 George Fox University Newberg, OR
68 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
69 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
70 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
71 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology students that almost earned our Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
72 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
73 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
74 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
75 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
76 University of North Texas Denton, TX
77 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
78 University of Hartford West Hartford, CT
79 Clemson University Clemson, SC
80 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
81 Illinois State University Normal, IL
82 University of the Pacific Stockton, CA
83 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
84 Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles, CA
85 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
86 Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA
87 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
88 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL
89 Roosevelt University Chicago, IL
90 Pacific University Forest Grove, OR
91 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
92 Salve Regina University Newport, RI
93 Chaminade University of Honolulu Honolulu, HI
94 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
95 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
96 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
97 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
98 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
99 Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA
100 Baruch College New York, NY
101 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
102 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
103 Widener University Chester, PA
104 Biola University La Mirada, CA
105 University of Delaware Newark, DE
106 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
107 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI
108 Touro College New York, NY
109 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
110 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
111 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
112 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
113 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
114 Endicott College Beverly, MA
115 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
116 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
117 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
118 University of New Haven West Haven, CT
119 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology by Region

View the Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology is one of 24 different types of Psychology programs to choose from.

Clinical Psychology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Counseling Psychology 8,991
Applied Behavior Analysis 3,548
Clinical Psychology 2,701
School Psychology 2,348
Industrial & Organizational Psychology 1,722
Forensic Psychology 1,439
Educational Psychology 1,393
Applied Psychology 903
Other Psychology & Counseling 378
Community Psychology 283

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Psychology 6,370
Child Development & Psychology 1,935
Other Psychology 1,833

Notes and References

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