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2024 Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools

424 Colleges in the United States
22,477 Master's Degrees
$46,147 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 424 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Master's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 22,477 master's degrees in clinical, counseling & applied psychology during the 2020-2021 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 take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection 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 15% 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 city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the clinical psychology program report average early career earnings of $39,767.

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

2

It's hard to beat The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology. The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles earn a boost of around $5,147 over the typical earnings of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles

3

It is difficult to beat Teachers College at Columbia University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from Teachers College at Columbia University earn a boost of around $7,087 over the average income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University

4

It is hard to beat The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago if you wish to pursue a master's degree in clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Located in the city of Chicago, The Chicago School Chicago Campus is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago get an earnings boost of about $5,147 above the typical earnings of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

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

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of around $2,099 over the typical income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

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

6

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

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology degree program at University of Southern California make $11,268 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

7
Adler crest
Adler University
Chicago, IL

Adler is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.

Soon after graduating, clinical psychology master's recipients typically earn about $40,358 at the beginning of their careers.

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

8

Pepperdine is a fairly large 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 $47,307 for their early career.

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

9

The Chicago School Washington DC Campus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Washington DC earn a boost of approximately $5,147 above the average income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Washington DC

10
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

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

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology degree program at Santa Clara University get $11,528 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

11

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

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology major at Texas A&M University - College Station get $7,529 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

12

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

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from University of Georgia earn $20,069 more than the standard clinical psychology student.

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

13
85 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Santa Barbara, Fielding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from Fielding Graduate University

14
3 Annual Graduates

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Chicago

15
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA

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

Master's recipients from the clinical, counseling & applied psychology major at National University earn $8,994 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

16

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Master's students who receive their degree from the clinical psychology program make an average of $46,963 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in clinical, counseling & applied psychology from University of Virginia - Main Campus

17

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

Soon after graduating, clinical psychology master's recipients usually earn around $39,892 in their early careers.

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

18
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
5 Annual Graduates

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

18

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

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from Florida Institute of Technology receive an earnings boost of around $14,322 over the typical income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates.

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

19

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

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago receive an earnings boost of around $7,239 above the average earnings of clinical, counseling & applied psychology majors.

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

20

Alliant is a small private for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego.

Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology master's degree recipients from Alliant International University receive an earnings boost of approximately $21,131 over the typical income of clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates.

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

21

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison.

After graduating, clinical psychology master's recipients generally earn around $45,988 in the first five years of their career.

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

22
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

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

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from University of San Francisco receive $10,243 more than the typical clinical psychology student.

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

23

Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern 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 Northeastern University receive $5,812 more than the average clinical psychology grad.

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

24
Pacific Graduate School of Psychology crest
Palo Alto University
Palo Alto, CA

Located in the rural area of Palo Alto, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Those clinical, counseling & applied psychology students who get their master's degree from Palo Alto University earn $7,482 more than the standard clinical psychology graduate.

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

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

26
27
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
28
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
29
30
31
32

33
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

34
35
36
37
38
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, MN
39
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO
39
40

40
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN

41
42
The Wright Institute crest
The Wright Institute
Berkeley, CA
43
Pacific crest
Pacific University
Forest Grove, OR
44
45
46
47
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, WA
48
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

Additional Award Winners

This section 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 15% of the 424 different United States clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
49 Touro University Worldwide Los Alamitos, CA
50 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
51 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
52 Salve Regina University Newport, RI
53 Ball State University Muncie, IN
54 National Louis University Chicago, IL
55 Auburn University Auburn, AL
56 Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles, CA
57 Fordham University Bronx, NY
57 California Institute of Integral Studies San Francisco, CA
58 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
59 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
60 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
61 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
62 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
63 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND

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
64 The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Irvine Anaheim, CA
64 Yeshiva University New York, NY
65 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
66 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
67 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
68 George Fox University Newberg, OR
69 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
70 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
71 University of North Texas Denton, TX
72 Saint Mary’s College of California Moraga, CA
73 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL
74 Biola University La Mirada, CA
75 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
76 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
77 Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA
78 DePaul University Chicago, IL
79 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
80 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
81 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA
82 The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at San Diego San Diego, CA
83 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
84 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ

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

View All Rankings >

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

Clinical Psychology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Counseling Psychology 8,317
Applied Behavior Analysis 3,834
Clinical Psychology 2,410
School Psychology 2,017
Industrial & Organizational Psychology 1,694
Educational Psychology 1,343
Forensic Psychology 1,245
Applied Psychology 764
Other Psychology & Counseling 419
Community Psychology 223

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Psychology 6,330
Other Psychology 1,777
Child Development & Psychology 1,686

Notes and References

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