Best Clinical programs in Iowa, ranked by enrollment
Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests.
38 schools in Iowa run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,078 people a year. The job pays a median of $91,690 in Iowa across about 440 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Iowa that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
5 programs in Iowa that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Iowa (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Iowa page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology, Generalmain feeder CIP 42.0101In Iowa → | 1,018 | 94.4% | 36 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | Counseling Psychologymain feeder CIP 42.2803In Iowa → | 41 | 3.8% | 3 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 3 | Applied Behavior Analysismain feeder CIP 42.2814In Iowa → | 12 | 1.1% | 2 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Developmental and Child Psychologymain feeder CIP 42.2703In Iowa → | 5 | 0.5% | 1 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 5 | Clinical Psychologymain feeder CIP 42.2801In Iowa → | 2 | 0.2% | 1 | $33,805 | $27,000 |
Top 25 schools in Iowa
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 12 of the 38 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 218 | Psychology, General | $34,155 | 75% | — | 89% |
| 2 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 105 | Psychology, General | $42,183 | 34% | $22,697 | 96% |
| 3 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 100 | Psychology, General | $32,673 | 68% | — | 93% |
| 4 | Waldorf University Forest City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 80 | Psychology, General | $41,193 | 21% | $22,328 | 77% |
| 5 | Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 47 | Counseling Psychology | — | 62% | $17,609 | 78% |
| 6 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 46 | Psychology, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 7 | Drake University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Psychology, General | — | 74% | $28,855 | 64% |
| 8 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 38 | Psychology, General | $32,627 | 61% | $21,680 | 77% |
| 9 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Psychology, General | $35,122 | 33% | $21,533 | 52% |
| 10 | Grand View University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Psychology, General | $34,709 | 54% | $20,840 | 99% |
| 11 | Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Psychology, General | — | 40% | — | — |
| 12 | Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Psychology, General | $37,072 | 66% | $18,153 | 64% |
| 13 | Loras College Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Psychology, General | $23,564 | 68% | $19,227 | 100% |
| 14 | Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Psychology, General | — | 45% | — | — |
| 15 | Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Psychology, General | — | 40% | — | — |
| 16 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 18 | Counseling Psychology | — | 50% | $22,816 | 71% |
| 17 | Wartburg College Waverly, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Psychology, General | — | 64% | $20,228 | 76% |
| 18 | Central College Pella, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Psychology, General | $29,923 | 66% | $19,732 | 86% |
| 19 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Psychology, General | — | 40% | $21,324 | 89% |
| 20 | Clarke University Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Psychology, General | $26,714 | 56% | $21,417 | 72% |
| 21 | Dordt University Sioux Center, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Psychology, General | — | 70% | $24,569 | 68% |
| 22 | Graceland University - Lamoni Lamoni, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Psychology, General | — | 42% | $16,430 | 81% |
| 23 | Southeastern Community College West Burlington, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Psychology, General | — | 43% | — | — |
| 24 | Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Psychology, General | — | 62% | $23,073 | 80% |
| 25 | Northwestern College Orange City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Psychology, General | — | 66% | $22,419 | 80% |
All 38 schools in Iowa
Every school in Iowa with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University | Ames | Public | 218 | 1 |
| Upper Iowa University | Fayette | Private not-for-profit | 105 | 1 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | Public | 100 | 2 |
| Waldorf University | Forest City | Private not-for-profit | 80 | 1 |
| Buena Vista University | Storm Lake | Private not-for-profit | 47 | 2 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 46 | 1 |
| Drake University | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 41 | 1 |
| Saint Ambrose University | Davenport | Private not-for-profit | 38 | 1 |
| William Penn University | Oskaloosa | Private not-for-profit | 33 | 1 |
| Grand View University | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 32 | 1 |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | Public | 29 | 1 |
| Coe College | Cedar Rapids | Private not-for-profit | 27 | 1 |
| Loras College | Dubuque | Private not-for-profit | 21 | 1 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | Davenport | Public | 19 | 1 |
| Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa | Public | 19 | 1 |
What clinical and counseling psychologists earn in Iowa
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $100,580. Iowa pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Iowa
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Clinical and Counseling Psychologists page.
How to become a Clinical
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Iowa
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 10 majors mapped to Clinical and Counseling Psychologists10 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 42.0101Psychology, General
- 42.2703Developmental and Child Psychology
- 42.2801Clinical Psychology
- 42.2803Counseling Psychology
- 42.2807Clinical Child Psychology
- 42.2809Geropsychology
- 42.2810Health/Medical Psychology
- 42.2811Family Psychology
- 42.2814Applied Behavior Analysis
- 51.1507Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy
Common questions
Answers for people weighing clinical and counseling psychologists programs in Iowa.
What degree do you need to become a Clinical?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Psychology, General, which awarded 1,018 degrees in Iowa in 2024-25, 94.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Clinical?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Clinical, Research and Experimental Psychology. Together they graduate about 1,078 people a year in Iowa.
How much do clinical and counseling psychologists earn in Iowa?+
The median is $91,690 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 8.8% below the U.S. median of $100,580. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for clinical and counseling psychologists growing?+
BLS projects a +11.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 4,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Iowa?+
38 institutions in Iowa reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do clinical and counseling psychologists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Clinical Psychologist, Counseling Psychologist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-3033.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card