Best colleges for Clinical in California
Ranked by graduate earnings
California State University - San Bernardino, University of California-San Diego and Mount Saint Mary's University are the top bachelor's Clinical programs in California by graduate earnings. California State University - San Bernardino leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $40,316, College Scorecard. National University, Pepperdine University and California Institute of Integral Studies award the most Clinical degrees in California: 1,247, 884 and 435 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 69 California colleges offer Clinical and award 8,212 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology program focuses on understanding and addressing psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues. It is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in various areas of psychology,…
Top 5 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino Public · Bachelor's degree | $40,316 | 35 | 55% | — | $14,958 |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla Public · Bachelor's degree | $26,953 | 262 | 86% | — | $15,000 |
| 3 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $21,473 | 136 | 53% | $25,892 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Pacific University San Dimas Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Online | $41,803 | 57 | 21% | $21,273 | $46,561 |
| 5 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles Public · Bachelor's degree Small program | $29,457 | 8 | 53% | — | $12,500 |
Colleges awarding the most Clinical degrees in California
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National University San Diego Private not-for-profit | 1,247 | Not reported |
| 2 | Pepperdine University Malibu Private not-for-profit | 884 | Not reported |
| 3 | California Institute of Integral Studies San Francisco Private not-for-profit | 435 | Not reported |
| 4 | California Baptist University Riverside Private not-for-profit | 374 | Not reported |
| 5 | Antioch University - Los Angeles Culver City Private not-for-profit | 304 | Not reported |
| 6 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla Public | 262 | $26,953 |
| 7 | University of San Francisco San Francisco Private not-for-profit | 231 | Not reported |
| 8 | Palo Alto University Palo Alto Private not-for-profit | 175 | Not reported |
| 9 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara Private not-for-profit | 168 | Not reported |
| 10 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles Private not-for-profit | 136 | $21,473 |
ShowHide the other 59 California colleges offering Clinical
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chicago School at Los Angeles (Online) | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 435 |
| Alliant International University - San Diego (Online) | San Diego | Private for-profit | 411 |
| Golden Gate University (Degree completion) | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 229 |
| Fielding Graduate University (Graduate only) | Santa Barbara | Private not-for-profit | 188 |
| The Wright Institute (Graduate only) | Berkeley | Private not-for-profit | 187 |
| Northcentral University (Online) | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 152 |
| University of Massachusetts Global (Online) | Aliso Viejo | Public | 145 |
| Touro University Worldwide (Online) | Los Alamitos | Private not-for-profit | 141 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa | Private not-for-profit | 127 |
| Pacifica Graduate Institute (Graduate only) | Santa Barbara CA | Private for-profit | 127 |
| Concordia University - Irvine | Irvine | Private not-for-profit | 114 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 96 |
| Hope International University | Fullerton | Private not-for-profit | 92 |
| Fresno Pacific University | Fresno | Private not-for-profit | 90 |
| California State University - Fresno | Fresno | Public | 80 |
| Antioch University - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Private not-for-profit | 80 |
| Saint Mary's College of California | Moraga | Private not-for-profit | 72 |
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 69 |
| Chapman University | Orange | Private not-for-profit | 60 |
| University of San Diego | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 59 |
| Vanguard University of Southern California | Costa Mesa | Private not-for-profit | 57 |
| Los Angeles Pacific University (Online) | San Dimas | Private not-for-profit | 57 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 54 |
| Biola University | La Mirada | Private not-for-profit | 53 |
| California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach | Public | 53 |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks | Private not-for-profit | 52 |
| William Jessup University | Rocklin | Private not-for-profit | 52 |
| The Chicago School at Anaheim (Graduate only) | Anaheim | Private not-for-profit | 51 |
| University of California-Irvine | Irvine | Public | 50 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | Public | 50 |
| Saybrook University (Graduate only) | Pasadena | Private not-for-profit | 46 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne | Private not-for-profit | 45 |
| Meridian University (Graduate only) | Petaluma | Private for-profit | 40 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton | Private not-for-profit | 39 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 36 |
| California State University - San Bernardino | San Bernardino | Public | 35 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael | Private not-for-profit | 30 |
| California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento | Public | 25 |
| Notre Dame de Namur University | Belmont | Private not-for-profit | 25 |
| Simpson University | Redding | Private not-for-profit | 25 |
| Fuller Theological Seminary (Graduate only) | Pasadena | Private not-for-profit | 23 |
| California State University - Monterey Bay | Seaside | Public | 16 |
| The Chicago School at San Diego (Graduate only) | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Public | 13 |
| La Sierra University | Riverside | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| University of Redlands | Redlands | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| California State Polytechnic University - Humboldt | Arcata | Public | 10 |
| California Prestige University | Santa Fe Springs | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| California State University - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Public | 8 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | Public | 8 |
| California State University - Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Public | 7 |
| Menlo College | Atherton | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Loma Linda University | Loma Linda | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Southern California Seminary | El Cajon | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock | Public | 4 |
| Claremont Graduate University (Graduate only) | Claremont | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Pacific Oaks College | Pasadena | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| California Northstate University | Elk Grove | Private for-profit | 3 |
| Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033).
Top skills
What Clinical and Counseling Psychologists earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Clinical programs in California.
Which California colleges award the most Clinical degrees?+
National University (1,247 graduates a year), Pepperdine University (884 graduates a year) and California Institute of Integral Studies (435 graduates a year) award the most Clinical degrees in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 69 California colleges offer Clinical.
What is the best college for Clinical in California?+
By graduate earnings, California State University - San Bernardino leads among bachelor's Clinical programs in California, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $40,316, College Scorecard. University of California-San Diego and Mount Saint Mary's University follow. By degrees awarded, National University is the largest, with 1,247 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Clinical program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, California State University - San Bernardino tops the list at $40,316. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Clinical and Counseling Psychologists earn in California?+
The average annual wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in California is $123,570 (median $116,000), across about 12,840 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Clinical program?+
The Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology program focuses on understanding and addressing psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues. It is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in various areas of psychology,…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, writing, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists?+
The national job outlook is about +11.2% growth with around 4,800 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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