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2027 Edition

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Best PsyD Programs in Puerto Rico (2027)

The ranking includes four PsyD programs in Puerto Rico, each with current APA accreditation and a start open to new students. Start with Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest-ranked PsyD program in Puerto Rico at 24th nationally and 64.7 out of 100.

Portrait of Trevor Rupe

By , Contributor at Savo Media Group
Updated

A cobblestone street lined with yellow, blue and pink colonial buildings in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. The photograph opens the ranking of PsyD programs in Puerto Rico.

By APA area of accreditation, that is 3 clinical and 1 counseling programs.

Puerto Rico licenses clinical psychologists at the doctoral level and writes an in-person program requirement into its regulation. BLS reports a median of $67,660 for clinical and counseling psychologists in Puerto Rico (May 2025), against $100,580 nationwide. School psychologists earn more, at $97,210.

PsyD Programs in Puerto Rico at a Glance

  • Four PsyD programs in Puerto Rico are ranked. Each holds current APA accreditation and takes new students, and Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus is first in Puerto Rico at 24th nationally. How the programs are scored.
  • Puerto Rico requires a doctorate for clinical psychology graduates. Its regulation also asks for an in-person program, with distance courses capped at 30%.
  • Clinical and counseling psychologists in Puerto Rico earn a median of $67,660. That is BLS pay for SOC 19-3033 in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile running from $46,340 to $90,410.
  • The median first-time EPPP pass rate is 22%. It is the median across the three programs with a published ASPPB rate, against 75% for all accredited doctoral programs.
  • APA lists Carlos Albizu University, Mayaguez as “Accredited, on contingency”. Its card shows that exact status.

Top PsyD Programs in Puerto Rico

All four ranked PsyD programs in Puerto Rico, in order. The number on each card is its place in Puerto Rico, and its national rank is beside the school.

Rank 1

Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus (Doctor of Psychology page in Clinical Psychology)

San Juan, PR · Clinical Psychology · No. 24 nationally · On campus

64.7

$12,250
first-year cohort, 2026-2027
26%
86 first-time takers
70%
112 of 159 applicants
6.5
2025-2026 graduates

Ranks 1st: 70% of its 159 registered applicants matched to an accredited internship (the highest in Puerto Rico), and it registers about 32 students a year in the APPIC internship match.

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Cost 10.0
  • Earnings 4.7
  • Outcomes 1.9
  • Track record 8.0
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 6.9

Albizu University's Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at its San Juan, Puerto Rico, campus is taught in Spanish and combines 95 credits with 10 clinical practicums, a pre-doctoral internship and a dissertation over five years of full-time study.

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The program prepares competent clinical psychologists under a practitioner-scholar model and, under the 2020 curriculum, requires 95 credits, 10 clinical practicums, a pre-doctoral internship and a dissertation. The school says the Psy.D. is offered in person, with courses delivered in person, partly in person or online, and that students can work on research projects and take combined courses with other programs at the university. Through elective courses, students can build skills in dialectical behavior therapy and substance use treatment and earn certifications in autism and forensic psychology.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a GPA of at least 3.25, EXADEP or GRE scores from the last five years and two letters of recommendation; applicants whose bachelor's degree is not in psychology must first pass 15 credits of psychology courses. Courses are taught in Spanish, and the program is completed in five years of full-time study. The school says graduates can apply for a license in both Puerto Rico and the United States.

  • The program requires 95 credits under the 2020 curriculum.
  • Students complete 10 clinical practicums, a pre-doctoral internship and a dissertation.
  • Courses are taught in Spanish.
  • Applicants submit EXADEP or GRE scores from exams taken within the last five years.
  • The program is completed in five years of full-time study.
APA area
Clinical Psychology
Program unit
Psy.D. Program, San Juan Campus
APA number
310
Accredited since
September 23, 1994
Next site visit
2028
Entry
bachelor's degree
Length
five years of full-time study
Credits
95 credits
Tuition, full-time
$12,250 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)
University fees
$2,346
EPPP
25.58% of 86 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
112 of 159 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Sources: APA record of Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus (Clinical Psychology), ASPPB, APPIC and APA disclosure of Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus (Clinical Psychology), read October 14, 2026.

Rank 2

Ponce Health Sciences University’s page for the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

Ponce, PR · Clinical Psychology · No. 38 nationally · On campus

61.7

$17,641
first-year cohort, 2025-2026
22%
55 first-time takers
54%
169 of 313 applicants
6
2025-2026 graduates

Ranks 2nd: it registers about 63 students a year in the APPIC internship match (the most in Puerto Rico).

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Cost 10.0
  • Completion 1.8
  • Outcomes 1.0
  • Track record 10.0
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 4.7

Ponce Health Sciences University's PsyD in Ponce, Puerto Rico, trains practitioner-scholars on a biopsychosocial model with a focus on health disparities and mental health equity, and lists English and Spanish as its languages.

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The program rests on the biopsychosocial model and the practitioner/scholar model of training, and its competency-based curriculum runs in a lock-step sequence so that clinical skills build in a graded order. Students complete 96 credits, including coursework, clinical training, research training, examinations, the clinical dissertation and internship, over a standard length of five years. They complete 1,100 hours of clinical practice across the first six semesters, pass a Comprehensive Examination at the end of the second year and a Clinical Practice Examination after the third, and finish with a one-year, full-time clinical internship of 2,000 hours. The dissertation can be a research project on a professional psychology topic or an intensive case study, and students may apply for a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology after completing 55 credits, the practicum requirements of the first two years and the Comprehensive Examination.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree with at least 15 credits in psychology, and holders of a master's degree in psychology, psychiatric nursing, social work, counseling or another mental health field may apply and transfer up to 24 credits. The program page lists the mode as in person, with the main campus in Ponce, Puerto Rico, a start date of July 26, 2027 and an application deadline of April 15, 2027. Tuition differs for residents and non-residents, and need-based scholarships are offered to PsyD students who demonstrate financial need beyond their current resources.

  • The program requires 96 credits.
  • The standard length of the program is five years.
  • Students complete 1,100 hours of clinical practice and a 2,000-hour internship.
  • The program page lists English and Spanish as its languages.
  • Classes are held in person at the main campus in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
APA area
Clinical Psychology
Program unit
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program
APA number
1517
Accredited since
March 11, 2004
Next site visit
2032
Entry
bachelor's or master's degree
Length
a standard length of five (5) years
Credits
96 credits
Tuition, in-state
$15,531 (first-year cohort, 2025-2026)
Tuition, out-of-state
$17,641 (first-year cohort, 2025-2026)
University fees
$3,390
EPPP
21.82% of 55 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
169 of 313 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

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

Rank 3

Carlos Albizu University, Mayaguez (Psy.D. program page in Clinical Psychology)

Mayaguez, PR · Clinical Psychology · No. 88 nationally

  • Accredited, on contingency

45.5

$12,250
first-year cohort, 2025-2026
0%
0 of 16 applicants; 5 matched elsewhere, 9 withdrew; 2025 Match only
6
2026 graduates

Worth knowing: 0% of its 16 registered applicants matched to an accredited internship (the lowest in Puerto Rico).

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Cost 10.0
  • Completion 0.4
  • Outcomes 0.1
  • Track record 5.6
  • Credential 5.0
  • Reputation 1.3

Albizu University's Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at its university center in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, is a 95-credit program taught in Spanish, with clinical practice in settings that range from schools and psychiatric hospitals to the university's own clinic.

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Albizu University offers its Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology at the Centro Universitario de Mayagüez (MUC) in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, as a 95-credit program taught in Spanish that the university lists as completed in 5 years of full-time study. Students gain clinical practice experience in settings such as schools, psychiatric hospitals, community mental health centers, multidisciplinary health centers, nursing homes, children's foster homes, other universities' clinics and the university's own clinic, supervised by clinicians trained in approaches including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy, Trauma-focused CBT and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Electives cover areas such as health psychology, neurosciences, autism, neuropsychological assessment, family therapy and psychotic disorders, and students can work on research projects and take combined courses with other programs at the institution.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a GPA of at least 3.25, EXADEP or GRE scores no more than 5 years old, two letters of recommendation, a negative criminal background certificate and health and vaccination records. Applicants whose bachelor's concentration was not psychology must first pass 15 credits in psychology, 5 courses of 3 credits each, to qualify for an admission evaluation.

  • The program totals 95 credits.
  • Courses at the center in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, are taught in Spanish.
  • Applicants submit EXADEP or GRE scores no more than 5 years old.
  • Applicants need a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.25.
APA area
Clinical Psychology
Program unit
Clinical Psychology
APA number
2466
Accredited since
May 22, 2024
Entry
bachelor's degree
Length
5 years when completed full-time
Credits
95 credits
Tuition, full-time
$12,250 (first-year cohort, 2025-2026)
University fees
$2,346
Internship match
0 of 16 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Sources: APA record of Carlos Albizu University, Mayaguez (Clinical Psychology), APPIC and APA disclosure of Carlos Albizu University, Mayaguez (Clinical Psychology), read October 14, 2026.

Rank 4

Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus (page for the Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology)

Gurabo, PR · Counseling Psychology · No. 104 nationally

39.2

0%
9 first-time takers
59%
30 of 51 applicants
4
2023-2024 graduates

Worth knowing: it registers about 10 students a year in the APPIC internship match (the fewest in Puerto Rico).

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Completion 2.1
  • Outcomes 1.0
  • Track record 4.0
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 3.2

Universidad Ana G. Méndez's Psy.D. in counseling psychology in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, holds most lecture courses on weekday evenings or all day on Saturdays and trains practitioners through six practicums and a 2,000-hour internship.

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The program bases its training philosophy on the Model Training Program in Counseling Psychology and on the Vail Conference model, describing itself as practitioner-based and integrating major models of evidence-based interventions, and students show they can bring research into practice through a doctoral project. The 94-credit curriculum combines required psychology and counseling psychology courses, practicum, research courses and directed electives; students complete six practicums with at least 1,100 hours, including at least 120 hours of research-related experience, pass a comprehensive examination after the third year and a doctoral candidacy examination before internship, and defend their doctoral project orally. The internship is 2,000 hours, either one full-time year or two part-time years, and students apply through the APPIC match.

Applicants may enter with a bachelor's degree in psychology or another health-related area, including 15 credits of psychology coursework, or with a master's degree in counseling, clinical or school psychology; admission also weighs three letters of recommendation, a written essay and case conceptualization, and an oral interview. Most lecture courses meet on weekdays from 5:30 to 10:00 pm or all day on Saturdays, while practicum placements require daytime working hours, and students must be able to read and understand English because some instruction, including textbooks and exams, is in English. The standard time to complete the program is five years, with a seven-year limit.

  • The doctoral program requires 94 credits.
  • Most lecture courses meet on weekday evenings or all day on Saturdays.
  • Students complete six practicums with at least 1,100 hours.
  • The internship is 2,000 hours, full time for one year or part time for two.
APA area
Counseling Psychology
Program unit
School of Social Sciences
APA number
1837
Accredited since
September 27, 2016
Next site visit
2035
Entry
bachelor's or master's degree
Length
five years as the standard completion time, with a seven-year limit
Credits
94 credits
Tuition, full-time
$325 per credit (first-year cohort, 2024-2025)
University fees
$1,300
EPPP
0% of 9 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
30 of 51 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Sources: APA record of Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus (Counseling Psychology), ASPPB, APPIC and APA disclosure of Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus (Counseling Psychology), read October 14, 2026.

The Numbers Behind the Puerto Rico Ranking

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

  • 4

    APA-accredited PsyD programs ranked in Puerto Rico

    APA directory

  • 22%

    Median first-time EPPP pass rate across 3 programs

    ASPPB

  • 56%

    Median accredited internship match rate across 4 programs

    APPIC

  • $12,250

    Median yearly tuition across 3 programs, in-state price where listed

    Program disclosures

Across the three programs with a published first-time EPPP pass rate, results run from 0% to 26%, with a median of 22%. ASPPB reports 75% for all accredited doctoral programs.

The four programs with at least 10 APPIC registrations from 2021 to 2025 matched 0% to 70% of their registered applicants with APA- or CPA-accredited internships, with a median of 56%.

Three programs list a yearly tuition, from $12,250 to $15,531, with a median of $12,250. Where a program’s cost table lists both an in-state and an out-of-state price, this page counts the in-state price (Ponce Health Sciences University); 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 Puerto Rico

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

Licensing questionPuerto Rico’s answer
Doctoral degree
A doctorate for clinical psychology graduates, and a master’s or doctorate for other practice areas, from an accredited institutionReglamento 9509 requires a doctoral degree of every clinical psychology graduate. Source: Reglamento 9509, section 17.1, read October 14, 2026
Program format
An in-person program, with distance courses limited to 30% of all courses and only mainly theoretical onesThe regulation asks for a program cataloged and authorized as in person by the Junta de Instituciones Postsecundarias or its counterpart. Source: Reglamento 9509, section 17.1, read October 14, 2026
Supervised experience
A supervised predoctoral internship of at least 2,000 hours for clinical and counseling psychology graduates, and 1,500 for school psychologyClinical psychology adds at least 500 hours of direct client contact and four hours of supervision a week, two of them individual. The hour requirements apply to graduates from academic year 2026-2027 on. Source: Reglamento 9509, section 17.1, read October 14, 2026
Licensing examinations
Two routes: the board’s own reválida exam, or the EPPP plus the board’s ethics, legal and professional competencies examThe board’s exam has 125 questions and a 70% pass mark. The EPPP route needs a scaled score of 500 and 70% on the ethics exam. Source: Board notice for the 2026 reválida exam, read October 14, 2026

Licensing board: Junta Examinadora de Psicólogos de Puerto Rico (JEP).The board’s law, regulation and exam notices are published in Spanish. Each answer here summarizes in English the Spanish text on the page it links.

Psychologist Pay in Puerto Rico

BLS counts 330 clinical and counseling psychologists in Puerto Rico, with a median annual wage of $67,660. School psychologists number 810 at a median of $97,210.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Puerto Rico

$67,660

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Puerto Rico

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$46,340
25th percentile
$53,550
75th percentile
$78,540
90th percentile
$90,410

Occupation: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, SOC 19-3033.BLS counts 330 employed in Puerto Rico.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Pay by Area in Puerto Rico

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Puerto Rico and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Puerto Rico statewide 330 employed $67,660
Ponce, PR 40 employed $76,840
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR 220 employed $67,660

School Psychologists in Puerto Rico

$97,210

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Puerto Rico

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$86,030
25th percentile
$96,630
75th percentile
$97,210
90th percentile
$97,740

Occupation: School Psychologists, SOC 19-3034.BLS counts 810 employed in Puerto Rico.

School Psychologists Pay by Area in Puerto Rico

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Puerto Rico and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Puerto Rico statewide 810 employed $97,210
Aguadilla, PR 50 employed $97,210
Arecibo, PR 40 employed $97,210
Mayaguez, PR 50 employed $97,210
Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area $97,210
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR 510 employed $97,210

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 Puerto Rico

Which Is the Best PsyD Program in Puerto Rico?

In the 2027 ranking, Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico is first among the PsyD programs in Puerto Rico, with a score of 64.7 out of 100 and 24th place nationally. Its program page is Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus (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.

What Does a PsyD Cost in Puerto Rico?

Three ranked programs in Puerto Rico list a yearly tuition, from $12,250 to $15,531, with a median of $12,250. Where a program’s cost table lists both an in-state and an out-of-state price, this page counts the in-state price (Ponce Health Sciences University); the ranking’s cost score uses the out-of-state price for every program alike. A program card labels its tuition figure with the period and rate its school printed, and Read More lists the in-state and out-of-state prices where the cost table gives both.

Does Puerto Rico Require an APA-Accredited PsyD?

The law asks for a degree from an accredited institution, not an APA-accredited program. Ley 96-1983, article 2 defines that as one accredited by Puerto Rico’s Consejo de Educación or, outside Puerto Rico, by an accreditor of similar quality, APA or the board.

Does Puerto Rico Allow Online PsyD Coursework for Licensure?

Only a limited share. Puerto Rico’s Reglamento 9509 asks for a program authorized as in person, with distance courses capped at 30% of all courses and limited to mainly theoretical ones.

Which Exams Does a Puerto Rico Psychologist Take?

There are two routes. One is the board’s own reválida exam, which has 125 questions and a 70% pass mark, and which the board must offer in Spanish and English. The other is the EPPP, at a scaled score of 500, plus the board’s ethics, legal and professional competencies exam, which is required of every applicant who passed the EPPP and needs 70%.

What Do Psychologists Earn in Puerto Rico?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $67,660 for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) in Puerto Rico for May 2025. The 10th percentile is $46,340 and the 90th is $90,410. School psychologists (SOC 19-3034) have a median of $97,210. Percentiles mark points in the pay distribution of everyone in the occupation, not years of experience.

Sources for Puerto Rico PsyD Programs