by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 277 U.S. colleges awarded 12,299 degrees and certificates in Counseling Psychology. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 91% of graduates. College Factual ranks 195 schools in its 2027 Best Counseling Psychology Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $55,107 one year after completing, rising to $71,095 after four years.
A major in Counseling Psychology involves the study of Counseling Psychology. A Program That Prepares Individuals For The Independent Professional Practice Of Psychological Counseling, Involving The Rendering Of Therapeutic Services To Individuals And Groups Experiencing Psychological Problems And Exhibiting Distress Symptoms. Includes Instruction In Counseling Theory, Therapeutic Intervention Strategies, Patient/counselor Relationships, Testing And Assessment Methods And Procedures, Group Therapy, Marital And Family Therapy, Child And Adolescent Therapy, Supervised Counseling Practice, Ethical Standards, And Applicable Regulations.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, counseling psychology is a widely-pursued major, with 12,299 degrees awarded annually. 277 colleges award counseling psychology degrees, an average of 44 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 1,807.
By level, the 12,299 awards include 1 associate degrees, 360 bachelor’s degrees, 11,223 master’s degrees and 713 doctorates.
Women earned 82% of counseling psychology degrees and certificates in the latest year (10,038 of 12,299). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (6,459) and Hispanic or Latino (2,089), and international students earned 316.
College Factual ranks 195 schools in its 2027 Best Counseling Psychology Schools ranking, including 26 for bachelor’s degrees, 173 for master’s degrees and 30 for doctorates. It also ranks counseling psychology schools within 39 states. In all, 277 colleges offer counseling psychology programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Counseling Psychology Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common counseling psychology credential is the master’s degree: 11,223 of the 12,299 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to counseling psychology call most for Active Listening, Reading Comprehension and Speaking, and for knowledge of English Language, Psychology and Education and Training, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension and Written Expression.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a counseling psychology degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 1 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 360 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 11,223 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 713 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to counseling psychology, at 34.1%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 34.1% |
| Master’s degree | 20.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 17.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 10.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 4.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.7% |
| Some college courses | 2.1% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.7% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.2% |
| First professional degree | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET Online.
11 occupations are related to Counseling Psychology, with an average median salary of $106,329; the strongest outlook belongs to Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, at 14.7% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Group Counselor, Case Manager, Adjunct Psychology Professor and Professor.
The occupation related to counseling psychology with the most projected jobs is Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary, at 513,614.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 513,614 | -3.0% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Mental Health Counselors | 246,978 | 2.8% |
| Counselors, All Other | 229,390 | 4.5% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
Counseling Psychology graduates earn a median $55,107 one year after completing their program, $71,095 after four years and $67,444 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $55,107 |
| 4 years | $71,095 |
| 5 years | $67,444 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to counseling psychology is Wind Energy Development Managers, with a median salary of $169,952.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,479 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| Counselors, All Other | $81,766 |
Counseling Psychology has 16 similar majors in the Psychology field, which together award 30,888 degrees a year; the largest are Applied Behavior Analysis (7,220), Clinical Psychology (6,412) and School Psychology (3,735). Browse all Psychology majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 7,220 |
| Clinical Psychology | 6,412 |
| School Psychology | 3,735 |
| Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 3,171 |
| Applied Psychology | 3,004 |
| Forensic Psychology | 2,736 |
| Educational Psychology | 1,876 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, Other | 711 |
| Family Psychology | 630 |
| Community Psychology | 467 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
