Top Schools for Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychology is an academic discipline involving the research and diagnosis of psychological issues and disorders in a clinical setting. Clinical psychology is offered at the graduate level. Read on for more information on the best clinical psychology schools in the nation.

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Top Clinical Psychology Schools in the U.S.

1. University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA)

Founded in 1919 and serving over 38,000 students annually, UCLA is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as number 25 in the 2011 National Universities ranking. It is highly selective with a 22% acceptance rate. The same publication also ranked the clinical psychology program as number one in the nation in 2008, tying with the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The clinical psychology program is a 5-6 year program that leads to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology. There are 11 specializations available to students, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychopathology and treatment for adults, health psychology and behavioral medicine and cross-cultural mental health research.

2. University of Washington in Seattle

The University of Washington is a large research university with a top-ranked clinical psychology program in the country, according to the 2008 edition of U.S. News and World Report. The clinical psychology program offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, which includes coursework, research, clinical training and community work. Students may pursue a minor in quantitative psychology or a specialization in diversity.

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

The Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin is a large research-based university that serves over 41,000 students in a variety of subjects. The clinical psychology graduate program is one of the best in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report in 2008. It's doctoral program focuses on research and mentor-based clinical research training; students are paired with faculty mentors on clinical psychology research studies. Clinical psychology students may pursue training and study in programs that cross university departments, such as the Emotion Training Program.

List of Ten Well-Regarded Clinical Psychology Schools

School Name	Distinction	Location
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	Joint training in adult and child clinical psychology, working with the Institute of Child Development	Minneapolis, MN
University of Washington	Specialization in diversity	Seattle, WA
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign	Applied clinical training at the Psychological Services Center	Urbana, IL
Indiana University - Bloomington	Minor requirement in one of seven areas of psychological study	Bloomington, IN
University of Wisconsin - Madison	Emotion Training Program	Madison, WI
University of California - Los Angeles	There are 11 specializations in clinical psychology	Los Angeles, CA
Rutgers University - New Brunswick	Graduate training available for a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) track	New Brunswick, NJ
University of California - Berkeley	OMNI Conference requirement for first-year students	Berkeley, CA
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Training grant on Black Child Development	Chapel Hill, NC
University of Pennsylvania	Full stipend funding for all clinical psychology graduate students for first five years	Philadelphia, PA