Colorado Psychology Doctorate Programs

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

Quick Facts

The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs has specializations such as geropsychology and trauma psychology, for those who are interested in focusing their counseling on a specific audience.
The University of Denver is ranked as the top value for college in the state of Colorado, with the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Boulder close behind.
There are over a dozen undergraduate and graduate degree programs available in Colorado, with many of them offering online classes — however, some require internships for upper graduate programs.
Before you can become a psychologist in Colorado, you need to pass two tests: the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology as well as the Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination.

List of PsyD Degree Programs in Colorado

There are 18 psychology programs available in Colorado. The following schools have programs available for a Psy.D.:

SEE ALSO: 5+ Best Online PsyD Programs

Two Psy.D. degrees are offered in the state — one at the University of Denver, and the other at the University of Colorado-Denver. But several other psychology doctorate degrees are offered at universities across the state.

University of Denver

The University of Denver was one of the first major colleges and universities to offer the Psy.D., with the program kicking off in 1976. Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology today offers a wide range of specialty areas, including military psychology, neuropsychology, forensic psychology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, CBT, health psychology, and treatment of special populations. UD also offers a range of Ph.D. degrees in psychology fields, including developmental, school and counseling psychology.

Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
Campus: Denver
Annual tuition: $73,680 (PsyD); PhD tuition varies by program, and many students will qualify for tuition waivers and annual stipends
Degrees offered: PsyD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Affective Social Cognitive Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology-Child emphasis, PhD in Counseling Psychology, PhD in Developmental Psychology, EdS in School Psychology, PhD in School Psychology, EdS in School Psychology Rural Hybrid
Accreditation: These programs are APA-accredited: PsyD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in School Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Counseling Psychology
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University of Colorado

Multiple University of Colorado campuses offer doctoral education in psychology, led by a Psy.D. in School Psychology that’s offered at the system’s campus in Denver. Other psychology doctorates are offered through the University of Colorado system, including Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology programs offered at Boulder and Colorado Springs. Between 2016 and 2024, 100 students earned their Psy.D. at the University of Colorado, and 34% of them went on to become licensed.

Institution type: Public
Campuses: Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver
Annual tuition: PsyD students pay nothing in tuition due to generous scholarships, grants, and stipends; most PhD students receive free tuition and annual stipends
Degrees offered: PsyD in School Psychology (Denver), PhD in Clinical Psychology (Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder)
Accreditation: APA (all)
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Colorado State University

Colorado State University’s robust psychology department first received APA accreditation in the early 1970s, and today the school offers a total of five Ph.D. degrees in a range of psychology specialties, including counseling psychology, industrial-organizational psychology and cognitive neuroscience. About three-quarters of graduates over the past decade have earned professional licensure.

Institution type: Public
Campus: Fort Collins
Annual tuition: $10,834 in-state, $26,264 out-of-state; some PhD students will receive teaching fellowships to offset tuition costs
Degrees offered: PhD in Applied Social and Health Psychology, PhD in Cognitive Psychology, PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, PhD in Counseling Psychology and Clinical Psychological Sciences, PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Accreditation: PhD in Counseling Psychology is APA-accredited
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University of Northern Colorado

Accredited by the APA since 1981, the University of Northern Colorado offers one of the few Ph.D. in School Psychology degrees in the state of Colorado. Its Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology is also APA-accredited. Between 2014 and 2024, 97 students have earned degrees from these programs, and their licensure rate is 78%.

Institution type: Public
Campus: Greeley
Annual tuition: $22,890 in-state (School Psychology), $43,320 out-of-state (School Psychology); $27,780 in-state (Counseling Psychology), $54,872 out-of-state (Counseling Psychology); most PhD students will qualify for research or teaching fellowships to offset tuition costs
Degrees offered: PhD in School Psychology, PhD in Counseling Psychology, PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, EdS in School Psychology
Accreditation: PhD in Counseling Psychology and PhD in School Psychology are APA-accredited
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How to Become a Psychologist in Colorado

Earning a Psy.D. or Ph.D. in psychology is just one step on the road to professional practice in psychology. For many people, the end of that journey is earning a license to practice as a psychologist. Here’s what it takes to complete those steps in Colorado.

Earn a bachelor’s degree in an applicable field. Most people who apply for psychology doctoral programs have a bachelor’s in psychology, but that might not be a requirement, provided you either have an undergrad transcript full of related courses or a master’s degree in psychology. Other applicable fields could include social work, biology or statistics.
Get your doctorate. All of the programs in this list will qualify you for the next step in the process, though you may have additional real-world hours that you’re required to put in, so be sure to check out what’s involved in your chosen program if you want to become licensed as a psychologist in Colorado.
Apply for state licensure. Psychologists in Colorado are required to complete 1,500 hours of supervised post-degree experience. In some programs, particularly six- to seven-year Psy.D. degree programs, this time may be built into the academic track. Once you’ve tallied enough real-world hours, you’ll have to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology and the Mental Health Jurisprudence Exam.
Remain licensed and keep up with requirements. Psychologists licensed in Colorado are up for renewal on a two-year cycle, and at least 40 hours of professional development must be completed each cycle to maintain legal status.

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Colorado Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

Clinical psychologists in Colorado earn an average of nearly $100,000 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the high end of the spectrum, salaries in the top 10% start at $134,890.

The number of counseling and clinical psychologist jobs in Colorado is projected to grow by over 20% over the coming decade, nearly twice as fast as the overall projected job growth rate for the state.

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.