Best Clinical Psychology Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)
These are the top schools offering Clinical Psychology, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Clinical Psychology graduate earns $33,816/yr across 59 schools.
What do Clinical Psychology graduates do? See career paths and salaries →
Why a CUNY School in NYC Is #1
CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College tops the list by combining elite outcomes with a public-school price. Its Manhattan location provides direct access to corporate headquarters, creating a powerful pipeline into high-paying HR and management analyst roles—reflected in its chart-topping $57,204/yr average earnings. Unlike pricey private schools, Baruch's low tuition results in a massive 17.5x ROI, making it the highest-value path to a lucrative corporate psychology career.
The For-Profit Surprise: Why Phoenix Ranks in the Top 10
Seeing the University of Phoenix-Arizona at #10 might seem odd, but it reflects a specific strength. For-profit schools are built for working adults, with flexible programs focused on immediate career application. While lacking the prestige of traditional universities, Phoenix delivers a respectable $41,118/yr in graduate earnings. This ranking isn't about reputation; it's a data-driven acknowledgment that for a non-traditional student, the program provides a quantifiable and competitive financial return.
Public Schools Offer the Clearest Path to High ROI
The data reveals a stark divide in value: public schools dominate. Programs like CUNY Baruch (#1, 17.5x ROI), CSU-San Bernardino (#7, 12.1x ROI), and Clayton State (#19, 21.4x ROI) offer exceptional returns by pairing solid earnings with low tuition. In contrast, many private schools present a riskier bet. For example, Embry-Riddle (#2) graduates earn a strong salary but face a 3.8x ROI due to a $168,816 tuition bill, demonstrating that a high price tag doesn't guarantee a better financial outcome.
AI Won't Take Your Job—It Will Change It
The 48% AI task exposure for this field isn't a threat; it’s a re-focusing of your skills. AI is poised to automate the grunt work—screening resumes, running basic data analysis, and scheduling. This frees you to concentrate on the high-value, uniquely human work that algorithms can't touch: mediating complex employee disputes, coaching executives, and using your psychological insight to shape company culture. Your career will depend less on administrative tasks and more on strategic human judgment.
All Clinical Psychology Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY · Public |
71
67–71 |
$57,204/yr | 17.5x |
| 2 |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott
Prescott, AZ · Private nonprofit |
58
55–58 |
$41,456/yr | 3.8x |
| 3 |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, FL · Private nonprofit |
58
55–58 |
$41,456/yr | 3.8x |
| 4 |
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN · Public |
58
55–58 |
$42,406/yr | 11.3x |
| 5 |
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, NY · Public |
58
59–59 |
$35,656/yr | 17.5x |
| 6 |
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN · Public |
58
59–59 |
$35,159/yr | 15.0x |
| 7 |
California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA · Public |
56
54–56 |
$40,316/yr | 12.1x |
| 8 |
Franklin University
Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit |
55
54–56 |
$39,387/yr | 11.7x |
| 9 |
Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global
Marion, IN · Private nonprofit |
55
54–56 |
$40,706/yr | 11.4x |
| 10 |
University of Phoenix-Arizona
Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit |
54
52–55 |
$41,118/yr | 9.8x |
| 11 |
Albright College
Reading, PA · Private nonprofit |
53
49–53 |
$48,838/yr | 3.5x |
| 12 |
Los Angeles Pacific University
San Dimas, CA · Private nonprofit |
53
51–53 |
$41,803/yr | 7.7x |
| 13 |
SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Canton, NY · Public |
52
52–53 |
$36,254/yr | 12.4x |
| 14 |
University of North Texas
Denton, TX · Public |
51
53–52 |
$32,553/yr | 11.6x |
| 15 |
University of Phoenix-Texas
Dallas, TX · Private for-profit |
50
48–51 |
$41,118/yr | — |
| 16 |
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public |
49
51–50 |
$29,457/yr | 16.9x |
| 17 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public |
49
50–50 |
$33,192/yr | 9.7x |
| 18 |
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA · Public |
49
50–50 |
$33,192/yr | 9.8x |
| 19 |
Clayton State University
Morrow, GA · Public |
48
50–49 |
$27,532/yr | 21.4x |
| 20 |
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
Marion, IN · Private nonprofit |
47
45–48 |
$40,706/yr | 2.3x |
| 21 |
Emmanuel College
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit |
47
45–47 |
$41,522/yr | 2.2x |
| 22 |
Wayne State College
Wayne, NE · Public |
47
47–48 |
$35,028/yr | 11.2x |
| 23 |
Pace University
New York, NY · Private nonprofit |
47
46–48 |
$40,671/yr | 2.2x |
| 24 |
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, NY · Public |
47
49–48 |
$28,904/yr | 13.6x |
| 25 |
Florida Institute of Technology-Online
Melbourne, FL · Private nonprofit |
47
48–48 |
$34,506/yr | 9.0x |
| 26 |
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, IN · Public |
47
47–47 |
$35,086/yr | 7.7x |
| 27 |
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public |
46
48–47 |
$26,953/yr | 9.4x |
| 28 |
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private nonprofit |
46
44–47 |
$42,384/yr | 1.5x |
| 29 |
Tiffin University
Tiffin, OH · Private nonprofit |
45
44–46 |
$38,989/yr | 2.0x |
| 30 |
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit |
44
43–45 |
$39,808/yr | 0.5x |
| 31 |
SUNY Morrisville
Morrisville, NY · Public |
44
45–44 |
$31,903/yr | 8.1x |
| 32 |
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit |
44
42–45 |
$43,964/yr | 1.7x |
| 33 |
Christian Brothers University
Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit |
44
43–45 |
$38,554/yr | 1.6x |
| 34 |
Lesley University
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit |
43
42–44 |
$38,404/yr | 2.8x |
| 35 |
University of Michigan-Flint
Flint, MI · Public |
42
44–43 |
$28,348/yr | 8.3x |
| 36 |
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI · Public |
42
44–43 |
$28,007/yr | 7.8x |
| 37 |
Thomas College
Waterville, ME · Private nonprofit |
41
41–42 |
$35,065/yr | 1.8x |
| 38 |
Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR · Public |
41
42–42 |
$26,591/yr | 8.9x |
| 39 |
Tufts University
Medford, MA · Private nonprofit |
40
40–41 |
$35,806/yr | 0.3x |
| 40 |
Champlain College
Burlington, VT · Private nonprofit |
40
39–41 |
$39,258/yr | 1.5x |
| 41 |
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Belton, TX · Private nonprofit |
38
39–39 |
$33,805/yr | 2.8x |
| 42 |
The College of Saint Rose
Albany, NY · Private nonprofit |
37
38–37 |
$32,008/yr | 2.5x |
| 43 |
University at Albany
Albany, NY · Public |
37
39–38 |
$26,245/yr | 5.3x |
| 44 |
Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC · Private nonprofit |
37
37–37 |
$34,491/yr | 2.2x |
| 45 |
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL · Private nonprofit |
36
37–37 |
$34,506/yr | 1.7x |
| 46 |
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit |
36
37–37 |
$31,211/yr | 0.8x |
| 47 |
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS · Public |
36
38–37 |
$27,841/yr | 8.2x |
| 48 |
Clarks Summit University
Clarks Summit, PA · Private nonprofit |
36
38–37 |
$30,956/yr | 1.4x |
| 49 |
University of Maine
Orono, ME · Public |
35
36–36 |
$23,828/yr | 3.7x |
| 50 |
Oklahoma Baptist University
Shawnee, OK · Private nonprofit |
35
37–36 |
$29,879/yr | 1.2x |
Scores calculated using College Scorecard, BLS, and AI task-exposure data. See full methodology →