2024 Best Applied Psychology Doctor's Degree Schools in California

If you plan on getting your doctor's degree in applied psychology, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #230 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Applied Psychology Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 35 doctor's degrees in applied psychology to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on applied psychology students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of applied psychology students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized applied psychology related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for applied psychology students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Applied Psychology Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Applied Psychology in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in applied psychology.

Top California Schools for a Doctorate in Applied Psychology

1

Fielding Graduate University
Santa Barbara, CA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

8 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Fielding Graduate University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in applied psychology. Located in the small city of Santa Barbara, Fielding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a doctorate in applied psychology from Fielding Graduate University

2

Touro University Worldwide
Los Alamitos, CA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

27 Annual Graduates

Touro University Worldwide is a wonderful option for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in applied psychology. TUW is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Los Alamitos.More information about a doctorate in applied psychology from Touro University Worldwide

Best Applied Psychology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Applied Psychology Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded

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Rankings in Majors Related to Applied Psychology

Applied Psychology is one of 17 different types of Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology programs to choose from.

Most Popular Majors Related to Applied Psychology

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Clinical Psychology	630
Applied Behavior Analysis	43
Educational Psychology	35
Industrial & Organizational Psychology	30
Transpersonal/Spiritual Psychology	13
Forensic Psychology	12
School Psychology	7
Counseling Psychology	2
Health/Medical Psychology	1

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard). More about our data sources and methodologies.