Psychology Schools and Colleges in Minnesota (MN)

Minnesota is generally larger than average when compared to other U.S. states, in terms of population as well as land area, and the data suggests that the academic and professional opportunities for psychology graduates are also somewhat bigger than they are elsewhere. Here are some data points about psychology schools and colleges in Minnesota that paint a favorable picture for aspiring students and graduates:

There were 37 psychology schools and colleges in Minnesota in 2016, according to data published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Minnesota students ranked among the top six states for psychology master’s degrees in 2012-13, according to recent NCES data, coming in not too far behind Texas, New York and other far more populous states

A total of seven doctoral psychology programs at schools and colleges in Minnesota have earned the distinction of being accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and approved by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists

The national mean annual salary for clinical, counseling and school psychologists was $76,040 in May 2015, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Minnesota’s psychologists showed a range of localized salary expectations the same year, with some on either side of that national average:

$77,420 in Duluth
$58,590 in Mankato
$75,770 in the Twin Cities area
$77,620 in Rochester

Minnesota also emerged as the nation’s highest paying state for psychologists practicing outside of the clinical, counseling and school psychology sphere. The state’s 250 psychologists with specialties other than those three earned a mean annual salary of $127,750 in 2015, with the upper 25 percent of earners taking home more than $182,230 for the year.

Region	Career	Total Employment	MeanAnnualWage
Mankato-North Mankato, MN	Marriage and Family Therapists	30	$64,030
St. Cloud, MN	Marriage and Family Therapists	N/A	$49,720
Duluth, MN-WI	Marriage and Family Therapists	70	$48,090
Mankato-North Mankato, MN	Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists	130	$85,820
St. Cloud, MN	Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists	70	$72,530
Duluth, MN-WI	Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists	150	$85,380

2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.

Minnesota psychology licensing requirements

In order to become licensed to practice psychology in Minnesota, candidates must satisfy the list of requirements put forth by the Minnesota Board of Psychology. Here’s a brief rundown of that list, which can be found in greater detail on the Board’s website:

Earn a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or PsyD) from one of the regionally accredited psychology schools and colleges in Minnesota or elsewhere that’s earned APA accreditation or otherwise meets the educational requirements of the Board

Apply for and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)

Apply for and pass the Professional Responsibility Examination (PRE), an jurisprudence exam that tests candidates’ knowledge of the rules of conduct set forth in the state’s Psychology Practice Act

Complete at least one year of supervised post-doctoral psychological employment

Once awarded, a Minnesota psychologist license stays current for two years from the date of issue. Licensees must complete 40 hours of eligible continuing education activities during each license renewal period. More information about the guidelines for continuing education eligibility and other finer points of the Minnesota licensing process can be gained the Minnesota Board of Psychology website or by contacting the Board directly.

Featured psychology schools in Minnesota

There are several notable psychology schools and colleges in Minnesota, whether their programs have been endorsed by the APA and other national agencies or they rank among the best national universities for psychology according to U.S. News & World Report:

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

The APA-accredited doctoral psychology program at the University of Minnesota has also been recognized as one of the best in the country by U.S. News, tying for the No. 4 spot on the national list with a small group of programs that includes the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Yale. Specializations available at the Minneapolis institution include biological psychopathology, counseling psychology, cognitive and brain science, industrial-organizational psychology and more.

Department: University of Minnesota Department of Psychology
Location: Minneapolis
Online options: The Twin Cities campus itself offers an online psychology bachelor’s degree completion program for transfer students, and other campuses in the statewide UMN system offer additional online options for psychology undergraduates.

Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University

The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University shares the pair of distinctions attributed to UMN — APA accreditation and recognition by U.S. News among the nation’s best graduate schools in 2016 — albeit with a somewhat lower rank than its neighbor across the river to the north. Doctoral students must complete a clinical research project, an internship period and 12 semester hours of practicum courses along with their core psychological coursework in order to graduate.

Department: Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University
Location: Eagan
Online options: The accredited PsyD program specific to the Twin Cities campus indicates limited if any online content, but the greater Argosy University system offers an online Bachelor of Arts (BA) in psychology as well as Master of Arts (MA) degrees in forensic, sport-exercise and industrial-organizational psychology.

University of St. Thomas

The PsyD in counseling psychology at the University of St. Thomas has been accredited by the APA since Fall 2000. Coursework for PsyD students focuses on practicum, quantitative methods, contemporary psychotherapy as it relates to diverse populations, advanced behavior studies and psychological testing methods, among other subjects. Pre-graduate students can also look into the school’s affiliated MA in counseling psychology that features a direct admission option to the doctoral program.

Department: University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Professional Psychology
Location: Minneapolis
Online options: The University of St. Thomas was not offering an online degree in psychology as of fall 2016.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Students at all levels can find an appropriate psychology degree at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, with a BA in psychology, an MA in counseling and psychological services and an APA-accredited PsyD in clinical psychology. PsyD students participate in intensive practicum training and study the scientific foundations of the discipline while building a solid basis for successful professional practice. Internship, mentorship and dissertation courses make up a large portion of the doctoral program’s final semesters.

Department: Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Graduate School of Health and Human Services
Location: Minneapolis
Online options: Although online options do exist in other degree fields, no psychology degrees are offered online as of fall 2016.

Article Sources

QuickFacts, Minnesota, U.S. Census Bureau, accessed May 13, 2016, http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/27
National Center for Education Statistics, accessed May 13, 2016: College Navigator, http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=MN&p=42; Master’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study and state or jurisdiction: 2012-13, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d14/tables/dt14_319.40.asp?current=yes;
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, accessed May 13, 2016: Clinical, Counseling and School Psychologists, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm; Psychologists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm
All Approved Doctoral Programs Listed by Jurisdiction, National Register of Health Service Psychologists, accessed May 13, 2016, http://www.nationalregister.org/resources-links/doctoral-programs/approved-doctoral-programs-by-jurisdiction/
Search for Accredited Programs, American Psychological Association, accessed May 13, 2016, http://apps.apa.org/accredsearch/
Licensed Psychologist (LP), License Minnesota, State of Minnesota, accessed May 13, 2016, http://mn.gov/elicense/licenses/licensedetail.jsp?URI=tcm:29-2987&CT_URI=tcm:27-117-32
Minnesota Board of Psychology, accessed May 13, 2016: Licensure Exams: EPPP & PRE, http://mn.gov/boards/psychology/applicants/licexams/index.jsp; FAQs, http://mn.gov/boards/psychology/applicants/faqs/index.jsp; Continuing Education, http://mn.gov/boards/psychology/licensees/ce/index.jsp; License Renewal, http://mn.gov/boards/psychology/licensees/renewal.jsp;
Best Clinical Psychology Programs, Best Graduate Schools, U.S. News & World Report, accessed May 13, 2016, http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/clinical-psychology-rankings/
School pages, accessed May 13, 2016: Graduate Psychology, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, http://cla.umn.edu/psychology/graduate; Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology, Digital Campus, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, http://digitalcampus.umn.edu/undergraduate-degrees/bachelor-applied-science-psychology; Psychology Major Online, University of Minnesota – Duluth, http://cehsp.d.umn.edu/departments-centers/department-psychology/programs/major-online; Doctor of Psychology Curriculum, Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, http://clinical.argosy.edu/locations/twin-cities/clinical-psychology-doctor-of-psychology/curriculum; Online Programs, Argosy University, https://www.argosy.edu/locations/online#programs; Counseling Psychology Doctorate, University of St. Thomas, http://www.stthomas.edu/counselingpsychology/programs/counseling-psychology-doctorate/?utm_source=ustredirect&utm_medium=Moved&utm_campaign=counselingpsychologydoctorate; Counseling Psychology M.A. with Direct Admission to the Psy.D., University of St. Thomas, http://www.stthomas.edu/counselingpsychology/programs/counseling-masters-doctorate-track/; St. Thomas University Online, St. Thomas University, http://online.stu.edu/; Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, http://www.smumn.edu/degree-completion-home/areas-of-study/bs-in-psychology; Master of Arts in Counseling and Psychological Services, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, http://www.smumn.edu/graduate-home/areas-of-study/graduate-school-of-health-human-services/ma-in-counseling-psychological-services; Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, http://www.smumn.edu/graduate-home/areas-of-study/graduate-school-of-health-human-services/doctor-of-psychology-in-counseling-psychology; Online Programs, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, http://onlineprograms.smumn.edu/

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