California Psychology Doctorate Programs

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Quick Facts
California PsyD Programs
California Psychologist Requirements
California Doctorate Salary Outlook

Quick Facts:

PGSP-Stanford University uses the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for its research and teaching facilities, which it houses at the Stanford University Medical Center – seeing 400,000 patients per year in psychiatry.
PGSP-Stanford University had a total of 301 Psy.D. students finish their program from 2014 to 2024, with a mean of 5.25 years to finish the program.
Tuition for PGSP-Stanford University is $59,568 per year.
A total of only 21 students left the PGSP-Stanford University Psy.D. program from 2014-24 without finishing their degree.
The University of San Francisco Psy.D. program consists of 1500-2000 hours of practica and a fifth year internship of 1500-2000 hours.
Admissions into the San Francisco program is only during the fall semester.
Annual Psy.D. tuition at Loma Linda University is $31,467.
Nearly half of PysD programs are based in Southern California

List of PsyD Degree Programs in California

About a dozen colleges and universities in the state of California offer Psy.D. degree programs that have earned accreditation from the American Psychological Association, which is the gold standard of academic accreditation for psychology programs at all levels.

SEE ALSO: 5+ Best Online PsyD Programs

Let’s take a look at vital statistics about the 13 APA-accredited Psy.D. programs offered across California.

*The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

The Chicago School’s Los Angeles campus only recently earned APA accreditation and dating back to the first year that graduates exited the program (2013), 132 Psy.D. students have earned their degrees from the L.A. campus. Students in other areas of California are served by two other Chicago School campuses, in Irvine and San Diego, though the programs there haven’t yet earned APA accreditation.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Campuses: Los Angeles, Irvine, Anaheim, San Diego
Annual tuition: $62,532
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Accreditation: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology programs at the Los Angeles and Anaheim campuses are APA-accredited

PGSP-Stanford Consortium

Formerly the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto University is home to the PGSP-Stanford Consortium, a unique program offering a Psy.D. that draws from faculty and expertise at both Palo Alto University and the Stanford University School of Medicine. The group’s Psy.D. first earned APA accreditation in 2006, and between 2014 and 2024, 242 students have completed their Psy.D. degrees. The program’s licensure rate for graduates is an impressive 96%.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: Palo Alto
Annual tuition: $59,568
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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University of San Francisco

One of the most recent California schools to earn APA accreditation, the University of San Francisco’s School of Nursing and Health Professions started conferring Psy.D. degrees in 2018. Since then 41 students have earned their degrees, taking an average of 5.7 years to complete the program. Of those, 73% have become licensed.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: San Francisco
Annual tuition: $49,760
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Loma Linda University

Loma Linda University’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology is structured as a five-year program, including an internship, and the program first earned APA accreditation in 1998. Over the past 10 years, 116 students have earned their Psy.D. through the program, and 75% of them have gone on to earn professional licensure.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: Loma Linda
Annual tuition: $32,994
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Alliant International University

Offered through the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University hosts five APA-accredited Psy.D. programs spread across a wide geographic area in the state, from Sacramento to San Diego. All five campuses have been accredited by the APA since the early to mid-1990s, and their programs have a combined professional licensure rate over the past decade of 75%.

Institution type: Private, for-profit
Campuses: Sacramento, Los Angeles (Alhambra), Fresno, San Diego, San Francisco Bay (Emeryville); all APA-accredited
Annual tuition: Ranges from $37,642 (San Francisco) to $51,920 (Los Angeles)
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology (all campuses)
Accreditation: APA
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Pepperdine University

Starting in their second year, Psy.D. students at Pepperdine University begin gaining hands-on experience in clinical mental health settings as part of a program that first earned APA accreditation in 1990, making it one of the first in the state to carry the APA’s endorsement. 246 graduates have completed the program in the past decade, and they have earned professional licensure at a rate of 87%.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: Los Angeles
Annual tuition: $78,800
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Fuller Theological Seminary

Fuller Theological Seminary’s diverse academic lineup ranges from Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degrees to similar degrees offered in Korean and Spanish, and the nondenominational Christian institution’s School of Psychology has offered an APA-accredited Psy.D. since 1972. Over the past decade, 88 students have completed the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, and 85% of program grads have become licensed psychologists.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: Pasadena
Annual tuition: $39,300
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Biola University

Founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Biola University’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology has been accredited by the APA since the early 1980s. This nondenominational evangelical Christian program prepares practitioners who feel called by a higher power to practice psychology. 130 people have completed the program between 2014 and 2024, and the licensure rate is 83%

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: La Mirada
Annual tuition: $41,390
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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The Wright Institute

The Wright Institute is a hyper-focused specialty institution that offers academic training only in psychology, hosting two degrees, the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology and an M.A. in Counseling. The Psy.D. program has been APA-accredited since 1998, and 82% of the 473 Psy.D. graduates over the past decade have earned professional accreditation.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: Berkeley
Annual tuition: $42,350
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Azusa Pacific University

One of several Christian colleges and universities to offer Psy.D. degree options, Azusa Pacific University first earned APA accreditation for its clinical psychology doctorate in 1990. Over the past 10 academic years, 233 graduates have completed the program, and their licensure rate is 83%, which is above average for California Psy.D. programs.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: Azusa
Annual tuition: $46,400
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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National University

Originally part of JFK University, this Psy.D. program first earned APA accreditation in 2003. In 2024 it again received full APA accreditation, this time as a Psy.D. program under the National University banner after an affiliation agreement with JFK that started in 2009. The Psy.D. program itself offers year-round enrollment and completion times that range between five and seven years. Specializations are offered in trauma psychology, neuropsychology, integrated healthcare, and correctional and forensic psychology. Between 2014 and 2024, 169 students earned their Psy.D., and 70.4% of those went on to become licensed.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: San Diego
Annual tuition: $40,756
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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University of La Verne

Housed in the College of Health and Community Well-Being, the University of La Verne’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology has been APA-accredited since 2003. A total of 119 students have completed their Psy.D. training at La Verne between 2014 and 2024, and they have a licensure rate of 81%.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: La Verne
Annual tuition: $41,920
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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California Lutheran University

Though it’s affiliated with the Lutheran Church, California Lutheran University’s Psy.D. program does not exclude members of other faiths, agnostics or atheists from its five-year, APA-accredited degree track. Earning APA accreditation in 2015, California Lutheran’s Psy.D. program has seen 81 graduates complete the program since the 2014-15 school year. Since then over the 10 years leading up to the present, 86% of graduates have gone on to become licensed.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Main campus: Oxnard
Annual tuition: $32,760
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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California Northstate University

Admission granted to students with a bachelor’s degree, and after five years graduates earn both an MA and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. A student-to-faculty ratio of 6-to-1 is something to brag about, as is this program’s focus on personalized clinical training. Because this program is so new (2023 saw its first graduating class) not enough student outcome data is available for full APA accreditation, which is why this program is classified as “APA, on contingency.” Full APA accreditation is expected by 2026, and in the meantime, graduates are considered as having completed a fully accredited APA program.

Institution type: Private, for-profit
Main campus: Elk Grove
Annual tuition: $40,538
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA on contingency
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Mount Saint Mary’s University

Mount Saint Mary’s Psy.D. program is closely aligned with the university’s general purpose: to help under-served and marginalized populations. Emphases options include either Latinx Mental Health or Diverse Populations. The final year is dedicated to an internship that’s the equivalent of 40 hours per week, full-time. Having been granted APA accreditation on contingency in 2024, full APA accreditation will be possible once several years of student achievement data can be analyzed. Until then, graduates will be recognized as having completed a fully-accredited APA program.

Institution type: Private, not for profit
Main campus: Los Angeles
Annual tuition: $30,315
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA on contingency
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California Baptist University

This five-year program accepts applicants regardless of their religious background, though it does integrate the Christian faith as appropriate into its science-based curriculum. Elective tracks are offered in three areas: forensic psychology, organizational psychology, and sport and performance psychology. Accredited in 2021, this program will remain on contingency status with the APA until enough student outcome data can be gathered and analyzed. In the meantime, graduates of this program are considered to have completed a fully-accredited APA program. Full accreditation is expected by 2026.

Institution type: Private, not for profit
Main campus: Riverside
Annual tuition: $31,800
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA on contingency
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How to Become a Practicing Clinical Psychologist in California

Being able to work as a professional psychologist in California is a several-step process that for many people begins with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. But that’s certainly not the only way to go about it. Let’s explore what steps are needed to become a psychologist in California.

Get your bachelor’s degree in an applicable field, most often psychology. Depending on the program you select for your Psy.D., you may not need to earn a master’s degree first, but if you are coming in with only a bachelor’s degree, schools will need to see that you have a basic education in psychology. So if not a major in that field, then your bachelor’s transcript should show a focus in psychology or a related field like biology. And some Psy.D. programs do require students to have a master’s degree, so be sure to find out what’s expected before you apply.
Earn a doctoral degree. While we’ve focused on Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) programs in California, many schools in the state offer a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in the field as well, and this type of degree also could serve as the necessary doctoral component to earning licensure. But it’s important to note that most Ph.D. programs, even those in clinical psychology, won’t have the same internship or practicum requirements that are part of Psy.D. education, so those who earn a Ph.D. in psychology may need to complete additional internships to gain those real-world hours.
Meet state requirements. The California Board of Psychology processes and grants licensure applicants for psychologists. Prospective candidates must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, as well as the California Psychology Law and Ethics Examination, in addition to verifying your completion of postdoctoral experience that’s part of most Psy.D. programs. Additionally, the state requires that applicants submit to a background and criminal history check, including a fingerprint scan.
Remain licensed and keep up with requirements. Once a psychologist in California has earned their license, they must be sure it remains valid so they can continue practicing, and this means getting your license renewed every two years.

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California Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

Clinical and counseling psychologists in California have the second-highest average annual salary among all their counterparts across the nation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their average annual salary is $132,410, and on the top 10% of the scale, salaries start at $187,020 per year.

Over the next decade, it’s expected that all counseling and clinical psychologist jobs & careers across the U.S. economy will see a steady growth rate of about 11%, but for clinical psychologists in California, that rate is expected to nearly double — 21%.

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.