What Is a PsyD? The Doctor of Psychology

APA separates the doctorate in psychology into two common degrees. The PhD is “generally regarded as a research degree.” The PsyD is a professional degree, and APA compares the kind of degree it is to the MD in medicine and the JD in law.

“The PsyD is a professional degree in psychology (similar to the MD in medicine or a JD in law). Programs conferring the PsyD degree focus heavily on the application of psychological science to provide a service to individuals or groups.”

APA, Frequently Asked Questions About Graduate School

The degree has a short history. APA’s student network says the PsyD “came into existence in the 1970s as an alternative to the PhD for those more interested in providing psychological services than conducting disciplinary research.” NCSPP, the council of professional-psychology schools, dates the turn to APA’s 1973 Vail Conference.

“A pivotal point in the establishment of professional training occurred in 1973 when APA sponsored the Vail Conference on Professional Education and Training in Psychology. At that conference, the Psy.D. degree was endorsed as the recommended terminal degree for education and training in professional practice.”

NCSPP, Model of Training

The same APA student-network article says the PsyD is “generally offered in professional schools of psychology,” whether affiliated with a university or housed in a free-standing graduate school.

A PsyD program is accredited for the PsyD on its own terms. APA’s Standards of Accreditation say that “PsyD programs place relatively greater emphasis on training for engaging in professional practice,” while graduates of either degree must show competency in both research and evidence-based practice.

“Programs that confer the PsyD must have a substantial proportion of faculty who engage in scholarship and/or empirical research in the discipline (or related disciplines and fields) and a substantial proportion of faculty who have been trained for the practice of psychology. Thus, students in PsyD programs are trained to engage in evidence-based practice, as well as in scientific inquiry and evaluation.”

APA, Standards of Accreditation, Doctoral Standard II.C.1

The same standards set the shape of the program. Each student must complete “a minimum of 3 full-time academic years of graduate study (or the equivalent thereof) plus an internship prior to receiving the doctoral degree,” and “The program must demonstrate that all students complete a 1-year full-time or 2-year part-time internship.” Residency adds “at least 2 of the 3 academic training years (or the equivalent thereof) within the program from which the doctoral degree is granted,” with at least one year in full-time residence at that program.

“Residency provides students with mentoring and supervision regarding their development and socialization into the profession, as well as continuous monitoring and assessment of student development through live face-to-face, in-person interaction with faculty and students. These obligations cannot be met in programs that are substantially or completely online.”

APA, Standards of Accreditation, Doctoral Standard I.C.2

That is why an APA-accredited PsyD includes in-person study. The online and hybrid PsyD programs page lists the accredited programs whose own pages describe substantial online coursework.

Published yearly tuition for the 103 ranked programs that charge it runs from $11,975 to $83,400. The middle half sit between $31,749 and $49,350, and the median is $39,960. Each figure is the full-time yearly tuition from the program’s APA disclosure or tuition page, with a per-semester or per-quarter price counted over the terms in a year. The PsyD tuition post groups the prices by the period each school prints them for and gives medians by type of school. One further program prints $0 tuition for full-time students.

Length is steadier than cost. Of the 108 ranked programs whose APA disclosures report time to completion, 90 report a typical graduate finishing in 5 years or fewer and 106 in 6 years or fewer. The median program reports 5.0 years, internship year included. The PsyD program length guide sets out how each school describes its own sequence.

Licensure is the step that lets a graduate practice under the title psychologist. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics writes that “Clinical and counseling psychologists typically need a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in psychology or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree.”

After the degree come supervised experience and the national exam, the EPPP. ASPPB says there may be “3,000 to 6,000 hours of supervised professional experience,” depending on the state, territory or province. The EPPP guide covers the exam and the licensure guide covers the state rules.

BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $100,580 for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033), with 75,990 employed nationally. The clinical and counseling psychologist salary page gives the range and state figures. The clinical psychologist career page describes the work.

APA accredits each PsyD program on its own, so a school with a clinical and a school psychology PsyD has two accredited programs. This site ranks 117 programs at 111 schools on cost, graduate earnings, completion, internship and licensure-exam results, track record, credential alignment and program reputation. Of these, 17 carry an APA status other than plain accreditation, shown on each program’s card. Start from the national ranking, or narrow by specialty, cost or state from the Rankings menu.