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2027 Edition

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Best PsyD Programs in Massachusetts (2027)

The ranking includes two PsyD programs in Massachusetts, each with current APA accreditation and a start open to new students. Start with William James College in Newton, Massachusetts, the highest-ranked PsyD program in Massachusetts at 58th nationally and 54.9 out of 100.

Downtown Boston, Massachusetts, towers and the Rowes Wharf arch glowing across the harbor under an orange sunset sky. The photograph opens the ranking of PsyD programs in Massachusetts.

By APA area of accreditation, that is 1 clinical and 1 counseling programs. Both are at private institutions.

Massachusetts names racial and ethnic bases of behavior, with a focus on people of color, among the content areas a licensing doctorate must cover. Pay here runs above the national median: BLS reports $115,180 for clinical and counseling psychologists in Massachusetts, against $100,580 nationwide (May 2025).

PsyD Programs in Massachusetts at a Glance

  • Two PsyD programs in Massachusetts are ranked. Each holds current APA accreditation and takes new students, and the highest-ranked of them stands 58th nationally. How the programs are scored.
  • Massachusetts accepts a doctorate from an APA-accredited program or one designated by ASPPB or the National Register. Applicants log 3,200 supervised hours, with at least a year of them before the degree.
  • Clinical and counseling psychologists in Massachusetts earn a median of $115,180. That is BLS pay for SOC 19-3033 in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile running from $60,250 to $216,570.

Top PsyD Programs in Massachusetts

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

Rank 1

William James College’s program page for its Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

Newton, MA · Clinical Psychology · No. 58 nationally · On campus

54.9

$61,440
first-year cohort, 2026-2027
61%
386 first-time takers
70%
255 of 367 applicants
5
2025-2026 graduates

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Cost 0.5
  • Earnings 5.9
  • Completion 5.8
  • Outcomes 3.1
  • Track record 10.0
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 8.8

William James College's PsyD in Clinical Psychology in Newton, Massachusetts, starts supervised field training in the first semester, has an internship consortium affiliated only with the college, and lists twelve concentrations from forensic psychology to geropsychology.

Read More on William James College Show less on William James College

William James College's PsyD in Clinical Psychology in Newton, Massachusetts, is a 5-year, 134-credit program in which all courses are offered on campus and the first four years are completed in residence. Supervised field training begins in the first semester and continues every year, with practica followed by either an APA internship track or a track in the college's own APA-accredited internship consortium, whose sites span Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. Students complete a dissertation and may add a program concentration in Children and Families of Adversity and Resilience, Clinical Health Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Geropsychology or Neuropsychology, or a college-wide concentration such as Military and Veterans Psychology.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and prerequisite courses that include general and abnormal psychology; there is no cut-off GPA, though a 3.0 is expected, and an interview with a faculty member is required. The GRE is optional. Applicants with an eligible master's degree in psychology or counseling may be granted advanced standing and enter at the level of second-year students. Every applicant is automatically considered for a merit-based scholarship.

  • The program totals 134 credits over five years.
  • All courses are offered on campus.
  • The GRE is optional for applicants.
  • Applicants with an eligible master's degree may enter with advanced standing.
  • Students choose between an APA internship track and the college's own consortium internship track.
APA area
Clinical Psychology
Program unit
Department of Psychology
APA number
234
Accredited since
November 10, 1987
Next site visit
2031
Schedule
full-time
Entry
bachelor's or master's degree
GRE
optional
Length
five years, the first four in residence
Credits
134 credits
Tuition, full-time
$61,440 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)
University fees
$1,500
EPPP
60.88% of 386 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
255 of 367 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Sources: APA record of William James College (Clinical Psychology), ASPPB, APPIC and APA disclosure of William James College (Clinical Psychology), read October 14, 2026.

Rank 2

Springfield College’s page for the Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology

Springfield, MA · Counseling Psychology · No. 92 nationally · On campus

44.8

54%
39 first-time takers
78%
32 of 41 applicants
5
2025-2026 graduates

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Completion 3.7
  • Outcomes 3.4
  • Track record 3.3
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 3.5

Springfield College's counseling psychology Psy.D. in Springfield, Massachusetts, pairs practitioner-scholar training and a focus on service and social justice with a practicum sequence that opens with a social justice-oriented placement in the spring of the first year.

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Springfield College's Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology follows the practitioner-scholar model, with an emphasis on clinical training and the application of research to practice, and its generalist curriculum integrates counseling psychology values. Students complete a minimum of 96 credits in core doctoral courses, pass a written comprehensive exam before applying for internship, and complete a doctoral dissertation. Practicum totals at least 1,400 hours: a 4 to 6-hour-a-week social justice-oriented practicum in the spring of the first year, then 2 to 3 years of a 16 to 24-hour-a-week practicum starting in the second year, and the program participates in the Massachusetts Practicum Training Collaborative. The internship is one year full time or two years half time, for 2,000 hours.

Applicants with a bachelor's degree need a minimum GPA of 3.20 and those with a master's degree a minimum of 3.30; students entering with a master's degree in counseling or a related field can transfer in up to 30 credits and need at least three years of coursework, while others need at least four, each followed by at least one year of doctoral internship. The GRE is optional, an interview is required, and students start in September; courses are offered full time on campus in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the program page puts completion at four to five years. Students receive an 8-credit tuition waiver during the internship year, and the college's fellowship and associateship positions, which include a Psy.D. Fellowship, can include a tuition waiver and stipend. The college says the curriculum is designed to meet the educational requirements for licensure as a psychologist in Massachusetts; licensure itself is granted by each state's board.

  • The program requires a minimum of 96 credits in core doctoral courses.
  • Practicum totals at least 1,400 hours, starting in the spring of the first year.
  • The internship is one year full time or two years half time, for 2,000 hours.
  • The GRE is optional, and an interview is required.
  • Students receive an 8-credit tuition waiver during the internship year.
APA area
Counseling Psychology
Program unit
Counseling Psychology Psy.D. Program
APA number
2062
Accredited since
February 26, 2016
Next site visit
2035
Schedule
full-time
Entry
bachelor's or master's degree
GRE
optional
Length
4-5 years: at least three or four years of coursework, depending on prior graduate study, followed by at least one year of doctoral internship
Credits
96 credits
Tuition, full-time
$1,212 per credit (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)
University fees
$1,038
EPPP
53.85% of 39 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
32 of 41 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Sources: APA record of Springfield College (Counseling Psychology), ASPPB, APPIC and APA disclosure of Springfield College (Counseling Psychology), read October 14, 2026.

The Numbers Behind the Massachusetts Ranking

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

  • 2

    APA-accredited PsyD programs ranked in Massachusetts

    APA directory
  • 2

    Cities with a ranked PsyD program

    APA directory

ASPPB reports first-time EPPP pass rates of 61% for William James College and 54% for Springfield College.

APPIC’s 2021 to 2025 match data put the accredited internship match rate at 70% for William James College and 78% for Springfield College.

Yearly tuition is $61,440 at William James College. Each figure is the full-time yearly tuition in the program’s own cost table.

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

Psychologist Licensure in Massachusetts

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

Licensing questionMassachusetts’s answer
Doctoral degree and accreditation
A psychology doctorate from a program accredited by APA or designated by ASPPB or the National Register, at graduation or within three years afterThe program must also meet the board’s criteria, among them a year of graduate study in residence at the degree-granting school. Accredited and designated programs are presumed to meet them. Source: 251 CMR 3.03, read October 21, 2026
Content areas
Competence in five substantive areas, including racial and ethnic bases of behavior with a focus on people of color Source: 251 CMR 3.03, read October 21, 2026
Supervised experience
3,200 clock hours, completed within 60 consecutive monthsA full-time internship of at least 1,600 hours, spread over ten months or more, counts as one of the two years. Source: 251 CMR 3.04, read October 21, 2026
Licensing examinations
A national examination in psychology, passed at a scaled score of 500, and the Massachusetts Jurisprudence examination Source: 251 CMR 3.08, read October 21, 2026

Licensing board: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists.

Psychologist Pay in Massachusetts

BLS counts 2,860 clinical and counseling psychologists in Massachusetts, with a median annual wage of $115,180. School psychologists number 3,300 at a median of $98,670.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Massachusetts

$115,180

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Massachusetts

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$60,250
25th percentile
$84,610
75th percentile
$159,570
90th percentile
$216,570

Occupation: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, SOC 19-3033.BLS counts 2,860 employed in Massachusetts.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Pay by Area in Massachusetts

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Massachusetts and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Massachusetts statewide 2,860 employed $115,180
Pittsfield, MA 60 employed $125,030
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 1,920 employed $121,270
Worcester, MA 350 employed $112,060
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 560 employed $108,940
Springfield, MA 230 employed $99,200
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 90 employed $93,830
Barnstable Town, MA 70 employed $80,420

School Psychologists in Massachusetts

$98,670

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Massachusetts

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$65,990
25th percentile
$80,900
75th percentile
$111,990
90th percentile
$135,280

Occupation: School Psychologists, SOC 19-3034.BLS counts 3,300 employed in Massachusetts.

School Psychologists Pay by Area in Massachusetts

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Massachusetts and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Massachusetts statewide 3,300 employed $98,670
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 60 employed $102,270
Barnstable Town, MA 90 employed $101,640
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 2,340 employed $98,670
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 370 employed $95,090
Springfield, MA 210 employed $93,200
Worcester, MA 480 employed $93,090
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 80 employed $90,710
Pittsfield, MA 60 employed $89,870

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 Massachusetts

Which Is the Best PsyD Program in Massachusetts?

In the 2027 ranking, William James College in Newton, Massachusetts is first among the PsyD programs in Massachusetts, with a score of 54.9 out of 100 and 58th place nationally. Its program page is William James College’s Psy.D. doctoral program 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 Massachusetts Require an APA-Accredited PsyD?

No, though APA accreditation is one of two routes. Under 251 CMR 3.03, the program can instead be designated by ASPPB or the National Register, at graduation or within three years after, and either kind is presumed to meet the board’s program criteria. The statute also asks for a degree from a recognized educational institution.

How Many Supervised Hours Does Massachusetts Require?

3,200 clock hours, finished within 60 consecutive months. The statute puts at least one of the two years before the doctorate, and a full-time internship of at least 1,600 hours over ten months or more counts as one year. Each training experience must last at least four months at 16 hours or more a week.

Which Exams Does a Massachusetts Psychologist Take?

Two. The national examination in psychology, which the board’s FAQ identifies as the EPPP, takes a scaled score of 500, and a candidate has three calendar years from the board’s approval to pass it. The Massachusetts Jurisprudence examination is also required, including for psychologists licensed in another state.

What Do Psychologists Earn in Massachusetts?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $115,180 for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) in Massachusetts for May 2025. The 10th percentile is $60,250 and the 90th is $216,570. School psychologists (SOC 19-3034) have a median of $98,670. Percentiles mark points in the pay distribution of everyone in the occupation, not years of experience.

Sources for Massachusetts PsyD Programs