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2027 Edition

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Best PsyD Programs in Washington (2027)

Entry to the ranking takes current APA accreditation and a start open to new students, and two PsyD programs in Washington have both. First in Washington is Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, which scores 46.9 out of 100 and stands 84th on the national list.

Portrait of Trevor Rupe

By , Contributor at Savo Media Group
Updated

The snow-covered summit of Mount Rainier above red and gold autumn meadows and subalpine firs in Washington, with a paved trail curving through the foreground. The photograph opens the ranking of PsyD programs in Washington.

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

Washington lets practicum and extra internship hours count toward its 3,300-hour total, so a postdoc is only for graduates who finish the doctorate short of hours, and its jurisprudence exam comes after the license. Pay here runs above the national median: BLS reports $115,240 for clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington, against $100,580 nationwide (May 2025).

PsyD Programs in Washington at a Glance

  • Two PsyD programs in Washington are ranked. Each holds current APA accreditation and takes new students, and the highest-ranked of them stands 84th nationally. How the programs are scored.
  • Washington asks for 3,300 supervised hours, and practicum can supply up to 1,800 of them. A postdoctoral year is needed only to cover hours still missing at graduation.
  • Clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington earn a median of $115,240. That is BLS pay for SOC 19-3033 in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile running from $78,940 to $179,470.

Top PsyD Programs in Washington

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

Rank 1

Northwest University’s program page for its Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology

Kirkland, WA · Counseling Psychology · No. 84 nationally · On campus

46.9

45%
47 first-time takers
68%
43 of 63 applicants
5
2025-2026 graduates

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Outcomes 2.1
  • Track record 4.7
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 4.1

Northwest University's PsyD in Counseling Psychology in Kirkland, Washington, holds its classes mainly on Monday and Wednesday evenings, teaches within a Christian worldview, and requires a cultural immersion experience.

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Northwest's PsyD in Counseling Psychology uses the practitioner-scholar model and is a five-year post-bachelor's program in which emphasis is placed on international, multicultural and social issues through a Christian worldview. It runs as a year-round cohort system with 121 credits required for graduation: classroom instruction is the focus of the first three years, which include a cultural immersion experience in an international or domestic setting and a practicum in the third year, and the fourth year adds dissertation work and advanced practicum or a preinternship. Students also take one theology course, Faith Integration with Psychology, pass a qualifying examination in year three and complete a doctoral dissertation, and the fifth year is a year-long internship.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree in any subject, though those whose degree is in another area must complete the program's prerequisite courses before starting; GRE scores are recommended but not required, the application deadline is December 15, and qualified applicants take part in a group interview. The program is built on a cohort model with no part-time enrollment, and classes are held in person, generally on Monday and Wednesday evenings with an occasional Friday evening or Saturday morning session, though the program expects a minimum of 40 hours a week including class time and homework. At least two teaching assistant positions are available within the program, and NU-funded assistantships that involve instructing students require signing the university's Statement of Faith. Northwest says the program is designed to satisfy Washington State requirements for licensure; licensure itself is granted by each state's psychology board.

  • The program requires 121 credits.
  • Classes generally meet on Monday and Wednesday evenings, with an occasional Friday evening or Saturday morning session.
  • The program does not allow part-time enrollment.
  • The fifth year is a year-long internship.
  • Students take one theology course, Faith Integration with Psychology.
APA area
Counseling Psychology
Program unit
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
APA number
2016
Accredited since
October 28, 2018
Next site visit
2034
Schedule
full-time
Entry
bachelor's degree
GRE
optional
Length
five years, with the fifth year spent on internship
Credits
121 credits
Tuition, full-time
$1,090 per credit (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)
University fees
$3,770
EPPP
44.68% of 47 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
43 of 63 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

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

Rank 2

Antioch University Seattle’s page for the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

Seattle, WA · Clinical Psychology · No. 96 nationally · On campus

43.7

$55,104
first-year cohort, 2025-2026
67%
51 first-time takers
63%
36 of 57 applicants
5
2025-2026 graduates

Factor scores, out of 10

  • Cost 1.4
  • Completion 3.4
  • Outcomes 3.6
  • Track record 4.4
  • Credential 10.0
  • Reputation 3.4

Antioch University Seattle's PsyD in Clinical Psychology in Seattle, Washington, admits students with a bachelor's or master's degree to a five-year, full-time program that emphasizes multicultural competency and social justice, with classes on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

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Antioch University Seattle's PsyD in Clinical Psychology prepares students for professional and health service psychology on a practitioner-scholar model, with an emphasis on multicultural competency and social justice concepts and placements and a competency-based system for measuring student progress. The program is designed to be completed in five years on a full-time, year-round basis, with 140 graduate quarter credits delivered in 11-week quarters and a one-year, full-time residency in the first year for every student. Clinical training builds from a 50-hour social justice service project in the first year to a 300-hour practicum in the second, with initial training at the AUS Community Counseling and Psychology Clinic, then a 900 to 1,200-hour pre-internship in the third and fourth years and a clinical internship of 1,500 to 2,000 hours in the fifth, either a full-time year or a half-time two-year placement. Students also pass a clinical competency exam, document 3 to 10 hours of personal psychotherapy and complete a doctoral dissertation, and they must apply to APPIC member internships.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and the program admits both bachelor's-entry and master's advanced-entry students; for those with a master's degree in psychology, counseling or a related mental health field, up to 8 credits of foundational courses may be waived after a syllabus review. Applications for the fall quarter are due December 1, and classes are held on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. President's Doctoral Fellowships are awarded to entering doctoral students on the strength of prior academic performance and work and life experience, paid over the first 2 registered years.

  • The program requires 140 graduate quarter credits.
  • Every student completes a one-year, full-time residency in the first year.
  • Classes are held on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
  • The clinical internship in the fifth year totals 1,500 to 2,000 hours.
  • Applications for fall admission are due December 1.
APA area
Clinical Psychology
Program unit
School of Applied Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy
APA number
1700
Accredited since
December 2, 2016
Next site visit
2033
Schedule
full-time
Entry
bachelor's or master's degree
Length
designed to be completed in five years on a full-time, year-round basis
Credits
140 quarter credits
Tuition, full-time
$55,104 (first-year cohort, 2025-2026)
University fees
$600 per year
EPPP
66.67% of 51 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)
Internship match
36 of 57 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

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

The Numbers Behind the Washington Ranking

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

  • 2

    APA-accredited PsyD programs ranked in Washington

    APA directory

  • 2

    Cities with a ranked PsyD program

    APA directory

ASPPB reports first-time EPPP pass rates of 45% for Northwest University and 67% for Antioch University Seattle.

APPIC’s 2021 to 2025 match data put the accredited internship match rate at 68% for Northwest University and 63% for Antioch University Seattle.

Yearly tuition is $55,104 at Antioch University Seattle. 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 Washington

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

Licensing questionWashington’s answer
Doctoral degree and accreditation
A doctorate from a regionally accredited institution, from an integrated program of graduate study in psychologyPrograms accredited by APA, CPA or PCSAS are recognized as meeting the education rules. Other programs must document at least 51 semester credits in the required areas, a dissertation, practicum, internship and a residency. Source: WAC 246-924-046, read October 21, 2026
Supervised experience
3,300 hours: a practicum of at least 300, an internship of at least 1,500, and 1,500 moreThe last 1,500 can be extra practicum, extra internship or postdoctoral hours, in any mix. Source: WAC 246-924-043, read October 21, 2026
Postdoctoral experience
Needed only when the hours are not complete by the time the doctorate is conferred, and then for no more than 1,500 hours Source: WAC 246-924-059, read October 21, 2026
Licensing examination
The EPPP, at a scaled score of at least 500 Source: WAC 246-924-070, read October 21, 2026
Jurisprudence exam
Not part of licensure; a new psychologist must pass it during the first continuing education cycle Source: Washington State Department of Health, licensing requirements, read October 21, 2026

Licensing board: Examining Board of Psychology.

Psychologist Pay in Washington

BLS counts 1,270 clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington, with a median annual wage of $115,240. School psychologists number 1,420 at a median of $108,780.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Washington

$115,240

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$78,940
25th percentile
$99,540
75th percentile
$145,790
90th percentile
$179,470

Occupation: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, SOC 19-3033.BLS counts 1,270 employed in Washington.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Pay by Area in Washington

Median annual pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Washington statewide 1,270 employed $115,240
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 50 employed $131,870
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 330 employed $122,130
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 50 employed $120,860
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 120 employed $112,500
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 50 employed $108,240

School Psychologists in Washington

$108,780

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Washington

  • BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$82,600
25th percentile
$101,160
75th percentile
$131,120
90th percentile
$139,110

Occupation: School Psychologists, SOC 19-3034.BLS counts 1,420 employed in Washington.

School Psychologists Pay by Area in Washington

Median annual pay for school psychologists in Washington and its metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, BLS May 2025
AreaMedian annual pay
Washington statewide 1,420 employed $108,780
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 60 employed $125,810
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 50 employed $124,700
Kennewick-Richland, WA 50 employed $115,650
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 750 employed $115,570
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 360 employed $113,950
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 40 employed $112,440
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 110 employed $107,700
Yakima, WA 60 employed $107,130
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 80 employed $105,810
Bellingham, WA 30 employed $104,250

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 Washington

Which Is the Best PsyD Program in Washington?

In the 2027 ranking, Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington is first among the PsyD programs in Washington, with a score of 46.9 out of 100 and 84th place nationally. Its program page is Northwest University’s Psy.D. program page in Counseling 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 Washington Require a Postdoc for Psychologist Licensure?

Only to fill a gap. The rules set 3,300 supervised hours, and WAC 246-924-059 limits postdoctoral hours to what is missing when the doctorate is conferred, up to 1,500. A practicum may run to 1,800 hours, so extra practicum or internship time during the program can cover the same ground.

What Residency Does Washington Expect From Online Program Graduates?

The Department of Health says every graduate of an online or hybrid program must document the residency requirement. Under WAC 246-924-048 that means a one-year continuous, full-time, in-person academic residency, or, in a program without one, at least 500 hours of in-person educational meetings, and meetings held remotely do not count.

Which Exams Does a Washington Psychologist Take?

The EPPP is required for the license, with a scaled score of at least 500. The state jurisprudence exam comes later: under WAC 246-924-230, a newly licensed psychologist must pass it within the first continuing education cycle.

What Do Psychologists Earn in Washington?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $115,240 for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) in Washington for May 2025. The 10th percentile is $78,940 and the 90th is $179,470. School psychologists (SOC 19-3034) have a median of $108,780. Percentiles mark points in the pay distribution of everyone in the occupation, not years of experience.

Sources for Washington PsyD Programs