Arizona Psychology Doctorate Programs
Mental health is a serious concern all over the country and the world, and it’s no different here in Arizona. In fact, the state’s suicide rate (20.6 per 100,000 people) is considerably higher than the national rate (14.2 per 100,000).
The good news for Arizonans who want to help make a difference, several prestigious universities in the state offer advanced degrees, including Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees that can help compassionate people become trained to practice as psychologists.
What’s On This Page
- Quick Facts
- Arizona PsyD Programs
- Other Psychology Doctorates
- Arizona Psychologist Requirements
- Arizona Doctorate Salary Outlook
Quick Facts
- Arizona is home to 27 schools offering psychology degree programs.
- 13 of these schools offer an associate’s program, 11 offer a bachelor’s, and 11 offer a master’s or other advanced psychology degree.
- US News and World Report lists two schools in Arizona for ranking among the top-50 best psychology graduate schools in the nation in 2022: the University of Arizona (35th place) and Arizona State University (39th place).
- Six of the 12-best colleges in Arizona offer graduate programs in psychology (ranked according to US News and World Report, 2025): University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, Prescott College, Grand Canyon University, and Aspen University.
List of PsyD Degree Programs in Arizona
Five universities in Arizona offer APA-accredited doctoral degrees in psychology. Let’s take a closer look at the important statistics students should know before making their educational decisions.
SEE ALSO: 5+ Best Online PsyD Programs
Midwestern University
Midwestern University’s Psy.D. degree at its Arizona campus was first accredited by the APA in 2011. The program is designed to be completed in four years with an option for a five-year track. Highly motivated students may opt to pursue a specialty in neuropsychology. Over the decade leading up to 2024, 196 students graduated from this program, which has a licensure rate of 83% over this same period.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Glendale
- Annual in-state Psy.D. tuition: $42,431
- Degrees offered: PsyD in Clinical Psychology
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
Northern Arizona University
NAU’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology program is one of the APA’s newest additions, receiving initial accreditation in 2022. Currently its status is “Accredited, on contingency,” and it will be eligible for full APA accreditation once three years of student outcome data is available. In the meantime graduates are considered as having graduated from an APA-accredited program. The Psy.D. is offered from NAU’s North Valley location in Phoenix.
- Institution type: Public, not-for-profit
- Campus: Phoenix
- Annual tuition: It’s expected that like NAU’s Ph.D. Counseling program, most Psy.D. students will qualify for free tuition and annual stipends; barring this annually the program costs $12,320 baseline plus $7,350 in program fees
- Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, (PhD in Counseling/School Psychology featured below)
- Accreditation: APA (on contingency)
- Visit school: Click here
Other Psychology Doctorates in Arizona
University of Arizona
At its flagship campus in Tucson, the University of Arizona offers a slate of Ph.D. degrees housed in multiple disciplines within the school, including psychology and education. First earning accreditation from the APA in the 1960s, these programs have quite a long history, indeed. Clinical psychology Ph.D. graduates from the university over the past 10 years have a licensure rate of 75%.
- Institution type: Public, not-for-profit
- Campus: Tucson
- Annual tuition: Admitted students generally receive free tuition and annual stipends through their education
- Degrees offered: PhD in School Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Cognition and Neural Systems, PhD in Social and Personality Psychology
- Accreditation: PhD in School Psychology and PhD in Clinical Psychology are both APA-accredited
- Visit school: Click here
Arizona State University
Accredited by the APA since the 1970s, Arizona State’s pair of psychology programs cover two of the most common areas of psychological practice — clinical and counseling. The clinical Ph.D. includes 84 academic credits that includes the equivalent of a one-year full-time internship. Roughly 88% of graduates of the two programs over the past 10 years for which data is available have become professionally licensed.
- Institution type: Public, not-for-profit
- Campus: Tempe
- Annual tuition: Typically, students accepted into the Ph.D. programs will have their tuition covered and will receive annual stipends while they work on their degrees
- Degrees offered: PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Counseling Psychology
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona’s Ph.D. in Counseling and School Psychology earned APA accreditation in 2017. The program is offered through the Department of Educational Psychology, part of the College of Education. Totaling 123 credits, 21 of these are devoted entirely to research. The climax of this program is passing a comprehensive exam and oral defense of a thesis.
- Institution type: Public, not-for-profit
- Campus: Flagstaff
- Annual tuition: Most doctoral students will qualify for free tuition and annual stipends
- Degrees offered: PhD in Counseling/School Psychology, (Psy.D. program featured above)
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
How to Become a Practicing Clinical Psychologist in Arizona
For many people who are working as psychologists, their academic journey began with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. That’s certainly a valid path, including for students here in Arizona, but getting an undergrad degree is far from the only step. Let’s see what it takes.
- Get your bachelor’s degree. Usually, it’s not necessary to complete a master’s degree before pursuing a Ph.D. But for those who did not focus on psychology or a closely related field during their undergraduate college experience, a master’s degree can help illustrate aptitude and commitment to the field.
- Earn a doctoral degree. Both for Psy.D. students and Ph.D. students, doctoral programs are the natural next step after earning their bachelor’s degree in psychology, as the programs are required by state officials for licensure.
- Meet requirements and apply for licensure. The Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners is the authority that grants or denies applications for licensure in the state. Requirements in Arizona include earning a doctorate, completing 1,500 pre-internship hours, 1,500 internship hours and completion of the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. The initial licensure fee is $350.
- Renew your license. Psychologist licenses in Arizona need to be renewed every two years, so be sure to complete all continuing education courses and submit any renewal fees.
Arizona Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook
Clinical and counseling psychologists in Arizona earn an average of $109,550 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is far higher than the overall average wage for all workers in the state, which is $63,040. The most skilled and sought-after job candidates will be pleased to know the top 10% of psychologist salaries in Arizona start at $179,200.
SEE ALSO: Arizona Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
Over the next decade the U.S. economy is expected to see a 4% growth rate, but clinical psychologist positions in Arizona look to grow by nearly 27%, the second-highest growth rate projected in the U.S. for the job.
2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures shown here for Psychologists. Job growth projections are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, CareerOneStop. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed December 2024.