Massachusetts Psychology Doctorate Programs
Massachusetts, much like the rest of the U.S., is experiencing a crisis of emotional and behavioral health disorders. That’s a major reason why so many students are searching for resources to help them become licensed psychologists in Massachusetts.
Let’s take a look at the doctoral programs required to begin the process of earning licensure and what exactly prospective psychologists should know about practicing here in the commonwealth.
What’s On This Page
- Quick Facts
- Massachusetts PsyD Programs
- Other Psychology Doctorates
- Massachusetts Psychologist Requirements
- Massachusetts Doctorate Salary Outlook
Quick Facts
- There are 33 schools in the state of Massachusetts that offer advanced degrees in the field of Psychology.
- Of those, Harvard University boasts the highest graduation rate in the state with an impressive 97%.
- US News and World Report ranked Harvard University third in the nation on its 2025 list of Best National Universities.
- Massachusetts had 11 schools rank on the Princeton Review’s 2025 list of best colleges in the nation that also feature graduate psychology programs: Assumption University, Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Clark University, Harvard, Northeastern University, Simmons University, Suffolk University, Tufts University, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
- The University with the lowest net price is Worcester State University – at $14,307.
Top PsyD Degree Programs in Massachusetts
Both types of doctoral degrees that provide the required foundation for licensure are offered here in Massachusetts, the Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) and Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy). All the programs on our list are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), including the two Psy.D. programs offered in the commonwealth.
SEE ALSO: 5+ Best Online PsyD Programs
William James College
Formerly the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, William James College first earned APA accreditation in 1987. 721 students earned their Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the college between 2014 and 2024, and 83% of those have earned professional licensure. The school also offers a non-APA-accredited Psy.D. in Leadership Psychology.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Newton
- Annual tuition: $56,640
- Degrees offered: PsyD in Clinical Psychology with concentrations in: Children and Families of Adversity and Resilience, Clinical Health Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Geropsychology, Neuropsychology
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
Springfield College
Springfield College’s Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology has been accredited by the APA since 2016, though it started admitting students in 2012. Between 2012 and 2024, 55 students earned degrees from this program, and 78% of grads have earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Springfield
- Annual tuition: $23,270
- Degrees offered: PsyD in Counseling Psychology
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
Other Psychology Doctorates in Massachusetts
Boston University
Several Ph.D. degrees are available in psychology at Boston University, led by the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, which earned APA accredited in 1948. BU is also home to an APA-accredited Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development, as well as a non-APA-accredited Ph.D. program in Brain, Behavior and Cognition (BBC). 86 students completed the clinical psychology program between 2012 and 2022, and 64% have earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Boston
- Annual tuition: $61,050 Clinical, $66,670 Counseling
- Degrees offered: PhD in Brain, Behavior and Cognition (BBC); PhD in Clinical Psychology; PhD in Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development
- Accreditation: PhD in Clinical Psychology and PhD in Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development are both APA-accredited
- Visit school: Click here: Clinical, Counseling
Clark University
Clark University’s doctoral psychology program is one of the most storied in the nation. The first president of the university, G. Stanley Hall, founded the American Psychological Association at Clark in 1892, and the school’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology earned APA accreditation in 1948, one of the first 12 programs to earn the honor. Today, the Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology offers two other psychology doctorates in development and social psychology. A total of 36 students completed the clinical program between 2014 and 2024, and 72% have earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Worcester
- Annual tuition: All students admitted receive full tuition waivers
- Degrees offered: PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Developmental Psychology, PhD in Social Psychology
- Accreditation: PhD in Clinical Psychology is APA-accredited
- Visit school: Click here
University of Massachusetts
The UMass system is home to several Ph.D. degrees in psychology fields, including clinical, school and counseling, the three biggest specialties in professional psychology. Amherst students can choose from a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that was first accredited by the APA in 1957 and a Ph.D. in School Psychology accredited by the APA since 1992. Students at the Boston campus have access to APA-accredited Ph.D. programs in clinical (1993), counseling (2015) and school (2016). 97 students earned their Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with Amherst and Boston combined between 2014 and 2024, and graduates have an 80% licensure rate.
- Institution type: Public
- Campus: Amherst, Boston
- Annual tuition: Most students receive tuition waivers and teaching assistantships; UM-Amherst Clinical: $15,915 in-state, $36,645 out-of-state; UM-Amherst School: $17,399 in-state, $35,714 out-of-state; UM-Boston Clinical: $0 in/out-of-state; UM-Boston Counseling: $19,850 in-state, $38,746 out-of-state; UM-Boston School: $19,850 in-state, $38,746 out-of-state
- Degrees offered: PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Counseling Psychology, PhD in School Psychology
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Amherst-Clinical, Amherst-School, Boston-Clinical, Boston-Counseling, Boston-School
Suffolk University
Suffolk University’s College of Arts & Sciences is home to an APA-accredited Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that first earned the APA badge in 2000. Suffolk also offers a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology, but that program isn’t yet APA-accredited. Clinical students can choose between a pair of specialties, clinical child and neuropsychology. 78 graduates earned their clinical Ph.D. degrees from Suffolk between 2014 and 2024, and 96% have earned licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Boston
- Annual tuition: All students receive tuition waivers
- Degrees offered: PhD
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
Boston College
The Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College is home to an APA-accredited Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, first awarded the APA nod in 1982. BC also offers non-APA-accredited psychology Ph.D. in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology that includes a range of focus areas. A total of 58 graduates completed BC’s counseling psychology doctoral program between 2012 and 2022, and 91% have earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Chestnut Hill
- Annual tuition: All students receive tuition waivers; $42,336
- Degrees offered: PhD in Counseling Psychology
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
Harvard University
Harvard’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology has been accredited by the APA since 2008. A total of 26 students completed Harvard’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology between 2013 and 2023, and 77% earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Cambridge
- Annual tuition: All students receive tuition waivers
- Degrees offered: PhD
- Accreditation: APA
- Visit school: Click here
Northeastern University
Two APA-accredited psychology Ph.D. degrees are available at Northeastern University’s Bouve College of Health Sciences, a school psychology program accredited since 2013, and a counseling psychology program accredited since 2014. Northeastern is also home to a non-APA-accredited psychology Ph.D. degree housed in the College of Science. 61 students completed their APA-accredited psychology Ph.D. degrees at Northeastern between 2014 and 2024, including the school and counseling programs, and their licensure rate is 72%.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: Boston
- Annual tuition: Most students receive full or partial tuition waivers; $45,000 Counseling and School
- Degrees offered: PhD in School Psychology, PhD in Counseling Psychology, PhD in Psychology
- Accreditation: PhD in School Psychology and PhD in Counseling Psychology both APA-accredited
- Visit school: Counseling Psychology, School Psychology
How to Become a Psychologist in Massachusetts
In every state, Massachusetts included, those who wish to practice professionally as psychologists must first meet a series of requirements to be considered for professional licensure. Let’s take a look at what’s required here.
- Get a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a closely related field. Some but not all doctoral programs will accept applicants who have undergraduate degrees that are in fields other than psychology, but those without such degrees should show academic aptitude in the area. This could include a high number of psychology courses on their transcript and/or a major in a related field, such as biology or social work. Without that, students may need to complete a master’s degree in psychology before they’ll be considered good candidates for a doctorate.
- Get your Psy.D. or Ph.D. Either major type of psychology doctorate is accepted as proof of aptitude in the field, but if students get a degree from a non-APA-accredited program, they will face additional requirements to verify that their coursework meets with regulators’ requirements.
- Fulfill other state requirements. Applicants must complete at least two years of supervised professional experience in a health setting, and 1,600 of the 3,200 hours can come from predoctoral internship or postdoctoral training. At least 800 hours of the remaining 1,600 hours must include contact with patients. Applicants will then be able to sit for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (minimum score of 500 is required), and the state’s jurisprudence exam.
- Remain licensed and keep up with requirements. Massachusetts psychologist licenses must be renewed every two years, and psychologists need to complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years ahead of their renewal date.
Massachusetts Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook
Clinical and school psychologists in Massachusetts make an average annual wage of $102,630, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and their average salary is much higher than the $$80,330 average wage for all workers in the commonwealth. On the high end, the top 10% salary starts at $164,740 for these professionals.
SEE ALSO: Massachusetts Clinical Psychologist Salary
It’s expected that all jobs across the U.S. economy will see a steady growth rate of about 4% over the next 10 years, but for clinical psychologists in Massachusetts, that rate is expected to be quite a bit higher —11.9%.
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.