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2027 Edition

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Best PsyD Programs in Colorado (2027)

Both ranked PsyD programs in Colorado are in Denver, Colorado. First in Colorado is University of Denver in Denver, Colorado, which scores 63.5 out of 100 and stands 32nd on the national list.

Portrait of Trevor Rupe

By , Contributor at Savo Media Group
Updated

Green alpine slopes and rugged Rocky Mountain peaks beneath cloudy skies at Engineer Pass in Colorado. The photograph opens the ranking of PsyD programs in Colorado.

By APA area of accreditation, that is 1 clinical and 1 school programs. University of Colorado Denver is the one public university among them.

Colorado puts all of its counted supervision after the degree, in one postdoctoral year that is logged while the graduate holds a candidate registration or works in a setting the Division allows. Pay here runs above the national median: BLS reports $113,290 for clinical and counseling psychologists in Colorado, against $100,580 nationwide (May 2025). School psychologists earn more, at $124,770.

PsyD Programs in Colorado at a Glance

  • Two PsyD programs in Colorado are ranked. Each holds current APA accreditation and takes new students, and the highest-ranked of them stands 32nd nationally. How the programs are scored.
  • Colorado asks for one postdoctoral year of at least 1,500 supervised hours. The doctorate comes from an APA-accredited program or one proven equivalent, and candidates pass the EPPP and a state jurisprudence exam.
  • Clinical and counseling psychologists in Colorado earn a median of $113,290. That is BLS pay for SOC 19-3033 in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile running from $46,870 to $161,700.

Top PsyD Programs in Colorado

Both ranked PsyD programs in Colorado, in order. The number on each card is its place in Colorado, and its national rank is beside the school.

Rank 1

University of Denver’s Psy.D. page in Clinical Psychology

Denver, CO · Clinical Psychology · No. 32 nationally · On campus

63.5

$60,071
first-year cohort, 2026-2027
81%
187 first-time takers
92%
178 of 194 applicants
5
2025-2026 graduates

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Cost 0.7
  • Earnings 4.0
  • Completion 9.1
  • Outcomes 7.9
  • Track record 8.7
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 9.8

A practitioner-scholar PsyD in Denver, Colorado, offered since 1976, where clinical practice begins in the first quarter at the school's Professional Psychology Clinic and students can train in focus areas such as military, health and forensic psychology.

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The University of Denver's Graduate School of Professional Psychology trains doctoral-level practitioner-scholars in a 135-credit-hour curriculum of required and elective coursework that includes a required multicultural sequence. Clinical practice begins in the first quarter at the school's community-based Professional Psychology Clinic, and from the second year students also spend at least eight hours a week in a community field placement. Each student passes a clinical competency exam, generally taken in the second year, completes at least 4 assessments before leaving for internship and writes a doctoral paper that makes an original contribution to psychological scholarship; the program ends with a full-time, year-long internship.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree and a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2; those without a psychology background must complete four psychology courses before applying or score at least 660 on the psychology subject GRE. A master's degree is not required, though applicants with a master's degree in clinical or counseling psychology may receive some transfer credit. Students attend full-time in all four quarters of the year, the program is designed to be completed within four to five calendar years, and over the past five years the school has welcomed an average class of 38. The PsyD admits for the fall term only, and the school's endowed scholarship funds include ones that support doctoral students.

  • The program requires 135 credit hours
  • Students attend full-time in the fall, winter, spring and summer quarters
  • The program is designed to be completed within four to five calendar years
  • Clinical practice begins in the first quarter at the Professional Psychology Clinic
  • The application deadline for fall 2027 consideration is December 1, 2026
APA area
Clinical Psychology
Program unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology, Psy.D. Program
APA number
182
Accredited since
May 15, 1979
Next site visit
2028
Schedule
full-time
Entry
bachelor's or master's degree
Length
designed to be completed within four to five calendar years
Credits
135 credit hours
Tuition, full-time
$60,071 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)
University fees
$5,681
EPPP
80.75% of 187 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
178 of 194 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Sources: APA record of University of Denver (Clinical Psychology), ASPPB, APPIC and APA disclosure of University of Denver (Clinical Psychology), read October 14, 2026.

Rank 2

University of Colorado Denver’s page for the Psy.D. in School Psychology

Denver, CO · School Psychology · No. 109 nationally · On campus

38.1

$50,622
first-year cohort, 2026-2027, out-of-state
63%
60 first-time takers
17%
6 of 35 applicants
4
2025-2026 graduates

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Cost 2.0
  • Earnings 0.2
  • Completion 8.4
  • Outcomes 2.1
  • Track record 2.8
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 5.2

CU Denver's Psy.D. in school psychology in Denver, Colorado, trains culturally and linguistically responsive school psychologists over four years, offers an optional bilingual (Spanish-English) concentration, and is also approved by the National Association of School Psychologists.

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The University of Colorado Denver's Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology follows a practitioner-scholar model that integrates academic study with intensive supervised clinical practice, and its foundational mission is to train culturally and linguistically responsive school psychologists, with courses built around themes of equity and social justice. The 100-credit-hour program includes 75 credit hours of coursework, practica of 500 or more field hours, a third-year clinical externship of about 500 clock hours in a setting such as a hospital or clinic, an internship of more than 1,500 clock hours in the fourth year, and a capstone project. Students also pass the School Psychology Praxis exam and comprehensive examinations, and those who do not already hold a graduate degree in school psychology earn a Master of Arts in School Psychology on the way to the PsyD.

The program generally admits students only on a full-time basis, with exception requests considered case by case; GRE scores are no longer required, applicants with a GPA below 3.2 typically are not considered, and the admissions interview is mandatory. Classes are on campus in Denver, Colorado, the recommended completion time is four years, and students may take up to eight years to finish. Students who hold residency in eligible Western Regional Graduate Program states qualify for in-state tuition, and a limited number of graduate assistantships across campus pay a stipend for up to 20 hours of work a week. The school says graduates are eligible for licensure in school psychology by the Colorado Department of Education and may also pursue psychologist licensure through the State Board of Psychologist Examiners; licensure itself is granted by each state's board.

  • The program totals 100 credit hours.
  • The clinical externship in the third year accumulates about 500 clock hours.
  • The internship requires more than 1,500 clock hours.
  • Students may add an optional bilingual (Spanish-English) school psychologist concentration.
  • GRE scores are no longer required.
APA area
School Psychology
Program unit
School Psychology
APA number
2139
Accredited since
April 15, 2018
Next site visit
2032
Schedule
full-time
GRE
not required
Length
4 years, with the internship in the fourth year
Credits
100 credit hours
Tuition, in-state
$16,368 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)
Tuition, out-of-state
$50,622 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)
University fees
$1,950
EPPP
63.33% of 60 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
6 of 35 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Sources: APA record of University of Colorado Denver (School Psychology), ASPPB, APPIC and APA disclosure of University of Colorado Denver (School Psychology), read October 14, 2026.

The Numbers Behind the Colorado Ranking

The figures below come from the two PsyD programs in Colorado that this ranking includes, each read from the source named beside it.

  • 2

    APA-accredited PsyD programs ranked in Colorado

    APA directory

  • 32nd

    Highest national rank among PsyD programs in Colorado

    This ranking

ASPPB reports first-time EPPP pass rates of 81% for University of Denver and 63% for University of Colorado Denver.

APPIC’s 2021 to 2025 match data put the accredited internship match rate at 92% for University of Denver and 17% for University of Colorado Denver.

Yearly tuition is $60,071 at University of Denver and $16,368 at University of Colorado Denver. Where a program’s cost table lists both an in-state and an out-of-state price, this page counts the in-state price (University of Colorado Denver); the ranking’s cost score uses the out-of-state price for every program alike.

ASPPB adds its own caution: “Please note that care should be exercised if comparisons across schools and programs are made.”

Psychologist Licensure in Colorado

A PsyD is a degree, and the license comes from the state. These are the rules a graduate of PsyD programs in Colorado meets for a license there, each linked to the page it was read on.

Licensing questionColorado’s answer
Doctoral degree and accreditation
A doctorate from an APA-accredited program, or from a program shown to be equivalentAn equivalent program needs a regionally accredited school, three academic years of full-time graduate study in listed content areas, 400 practicum hours and an internship that is APA-accredited or substantially equivalent. Source: 3 CCR 721-1, Rule 1.14, read October 21, 2026
Supervised experience
One postdoctoral year of at least 1,500 clock hours, spread over 12 months or moreSupervision totals at least 75 hours, 50 of them individual and face to face, and at least 50 of the hours cover racial and ethnic bases of behavior. Source: 3 CCR 721-1, Rule 1.14, read October 21, 2026
When the postdoctoral hours count
Only while the applicant is registered as a psychologist candidate, registered as an unlicensed psychotherapist, or working in an exempt facility Source: Colorado DPO, psychology applications and forms, read October 21, 2026
Licensing examinations
The EPPP and a jurisprudence examination developed by the boardPsychologist candidates pass the jurisprudence exam to register, and exam results stay valid for five years. Source: 3 CCR 721-1, Rule 1.14, read October 21, 2026

Licensing board: State Board of Psychologist Examiners.

Psychologist Pay in Colorado

BLS counts 1,170 clinical and counseling psychologists in Colorado, with a median annual wage of $113,290. School psychologists number 1,380 at a median of $124,770.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Colorado

$113,290

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Colorado

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$46,870
25th percentile
$73,570
75th percentile
$150,990
90th percentile
$161,700

Occupation: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, SOC 19-3033.BLS counts 1,170 employed in Colorado.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Pay by Area in Colorado

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Colorado and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Colorado statewide 1,170 employed $113,290
Colorado Springs, CO 100 employed $121,830
Pueblo, CO 40 employed $113,290
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $109,260
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $54,590

School Psychologists in Colorado

$124,770

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Colorado

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$88,090
25th percentile
$105,390
75th percentile
$141,060
90th percentile
$161,570

Occupation: School Psychologists, SOC 19-3034.BLS counts 1,380 employed in Colorado.

School Psychologists Pay by Area in Colorado

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Colorado and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Colorado statewide 1,380 employed $124,770
Boulder, CO 110 employed $143,020
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 770 employed $129,340
Colorado Springs, CO 190 employed $114,380
Greeley, CO 60 employed $107,790
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 60 employed $101,560
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 80 employed $87,740

Percentiles are points in each occupation’s pay distribution, not experience levels. BLS lists an area in every state its counties reach, so a metropolitan area that crosses a state line appears under each state.

Questions About a PsyD in Colorado

Which Is the Best PsyD Program in Colorado?

In the 2027 ranking, University of Denver in Denver, Colorado is first among the PsyD programs in Colorado, with a score of 63.5 out of 100 and 32nd place nationally. Its program page is University of Denver’s Psy.D. page in Clinical Psychology. The score weighs cost, graduate earnings, completion, internship and licensure outcomes, track record, credential alignment and program reputation, and the methodology page shows each weight.

Does Colorado Require an APA-Accredited PsyD?

No. An APA-accredited program is one route, and a graduate of any other program must prove the program equivalent against the board’s criteria, and the Division no longer reviews those packets itself; it has contracted the reviews to the Center for Credentialing and Education.

Does Colorado Require a Postdoctoral Year for Psychologists?

Yes. The rule asks for one year of supervised experience after the doctorate, at least 1,500 clock hours over 12 months or more. Teaching psychology can cover up to 500 of them, and research experience has its own allowance of up to 500.

Which Exams Does a Colorado Psychologist Take?

The EPPP and a jurisprudence exam the board developed on Colorado’s laws and rules. Registering as a psychologist candidate also requires the jurisprudence exam, and passing results last five years.

What Do Psychologists Earn in Colorado?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $113,290 for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) in Colorado for May 2025. The 10th percentile is $46,870 and the 90th is $161,700. School psychologists (SOC 19-3034) have a median of $124,770. Percentiles mark points in the pay distribution of everyone in the occupation, not years of experience.

Sources for Colorado PsyD Programs