Psychology
Applying to Graduate School in Psychology
How difficult is it to gain admission to graduate programs in psychology?
The acceptance rates vary depending on the level of the program (i.e., master’s or doctoral) and the focus of the program (e.g., clinical, cognitive, developmental). Below are the median acceptance and enrollment rates for doctoral level programs.
| Field | Acceptance rate | Enrollment rate | N |
| Clinical (General) | 11.1 | 7.4 | 211 |
| Social | 15.0 | 8.0 | 80 |
| Counseling | 17.0 | 10.2 | 64 |
| I/O | 17.4 | 11.0 | 53 |
| Developmental | 20.7 | 14.0 | 99 |
| Health | 21.5 | 15.0 | 12 |
| Clinical (Neuropsychology) | 22.4 | 14.6 | 20 |
| Neuroscience | 25.0 | 16.0 | 49 |
| Psychobiology | 25.0 | 8.3 | 13 |
| Cognitive | 26.1 | 14.3 | 88 |
| Experimental | 30.0 | 18.2 | 31 |
| School | 32.1 | 18.5 | 52 |
| Quantitative | 36.0 | 20.0 | 14 |
| Educational | 50.0 | 30.0 | 31 |
From Norcross, Kohout, and Wicherski (2005). Acceptance rate is the number accepted divided by the total number of applicants. Enrollment rate is the number enrolled divided by the total number of applicants.
Acceptance rates for doctoral clinical psychology programs tend to be the lowest among all fields of psychology. Acceptance rates for these programs vary greatly, depending on whether they award the PhD or PsyD degrees. Below are acceptance and enrollment rates for APA-accredited doctoral-level clinical programs.
| Ph.D. Programs | Psy.D. Programs | |
| Median Acceptance Rate | 8.0 | 42.0 |
| Median Enrollment Rate | 5.0 | 25.0 |
| Number of Students Enrolled/Year | 7.0 | 28.0 |
From Norcross, Kohout, and Wicherski (2005).
Notice that median enrollment rates are five times greater in PsyD programs than in PhD programs. Furthermore, the median class size for PsyD programs is four times greater than the median class size for PhD programs.
What criteria do graduate programs use to select applicants?
The criteria that committees use to select applicants depend on two factors: (1) the level of the program (i.e., master’s or doctoral) and (2) the focus of the program (e.g., clinical, cognitive, developmental).
Here is a list of selection criteria, ranked by importance, for doctoral level graduate programs in psychology:
| Criterion | Mean | Standard Deviation | N |
| Quality of letters of recommendation | 2.82 | 0.42 | 410 |
| Personal statement | 2.81 | 0.41 | 410 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 2.74 | 0.45 | 402 |
| Interview | 2.62 | 0.60 | 345 |
| Research experience | 2.54 | 0.65 | 405 |
| GRE scores | 2.50 | 0.55 | 364 |
| Clinically-related service | 1.91 | 0.69 | 365 |
| Work experience | 1.87 | 0.68 | 396 |
| Extracurricular activities | 1.41 | 0.55 | 357 |
From Norcross, Kohout, and Wicherski (2005)
According to these data, students can do several things to maximize their chances of getting into graduate school.
1. Develop relationships with your professors. Professors who know you and your interests, who can comment on your writing, speaking, and thinking skills, and who have seen you interact inside and outside the classroom will be able to write stronger, more detailed letters of recommendation for you. Visit your professors during office hours, talk about common interests, and attend departmental events, like the speakers that we invite to campus.
2. Write a thoughtful personal statement. All graduate school applications will require you to write a personal statement, describing why you want to pursue graduate education in their program. This serves at least two purposes: (1) it helps committees assess the fit between your interests and the interests of the faculty at their program, and (2) it allows committees to examine the quality of your writing. There are several excellent books and articles that can help you write a personal statement. Consult the literature and be sure to ask a faculty member to review your personal statement before you submit it with your application.
3. Your GPA matters. It is important for students to do well in their courses, especially in courses offered in psychology. Below are mean and median GPAs for students admitted to doctoral programs in psychology:
| Undergraduate GPA | Mean | Median | N |
| Overall GPA | 3.54 | 3.56 | 232 |
| Psychology GPA | 3.66 | 3.70 | 65 |
| Last 2 Years GPA | 3.67 | 3.70 | 89 |
From Norcross, Kohout, and Wicherski (2005)
4. Participate in a practice interview.Denison students can participate in practice interviews through the Office of Career Services. Interviews may be especially important for graduate programs that require them, such as clinical and counseling programs.
5. Gain research experience.Denison students can gain research experience in several ways. One excellent way is to participate in the Summer Research Program. If selected for this program, you work individually with a faculty member on an empirically-based research project for 10 weeks during the summer. You will also receive a stipend, an allowance for research expenses, and free housing on campus. The deadline for applying is in early February, so ask a faculty member early if you are interested. A second way to gain research experience is to participate in an independent or directed study project during the academic year. A third way is to participate in a summer research internship at a hospital or another university.
6. GRE scores matter. If you want to apply for graduate school during your senior year, you may want to take the GRE during the summer before your senior year. You will probably want to study several weeks before the test. Nearly all graduate programs will require you to submit general GRE scores. A few programs (especially those in clinical or counseling) will also require you to submit scores for the Psychology GRE exam. Below are normative GRE data for students admitted to doctoral programs in psychology:
| GRE Domain | Mean | Median | N |
| Verbal | 571 | 571 | 233 |
| Quantitative | 626 | 630 | 233 |
| Verbal + Quantitative | 1183 | 1200 | 172 |
| Psychology Subject Test | 633 | 638 | 93 |
From Norcross, Kohout, and Wicherski (2005)
7. Seek out other experiences if necessary. You might want to participate in Psychology 202: Field Experience in Psychology to help you determine whether applied psychology is a good career choice for you. You might also participate in service-learning or other human-service volunteer experiences to discern career interests. Participation in clinically-related experiences is not weighted heavily by admissions committees overall, but it is probably important for students interested in clinical, counseling, school, and other applied areas of psychology.
How much will graduate school cost?
There are several costs associated with graduate education. These costs include tuition, fees, books and supplies, housing, healthcare, transportation and living expenses, and other miscellaneous expenses such as travel. The exact cost of graduate education will depend on these individual costs.
Luckily, many doctoral programs in psychology help students pay for their graduate education. The primary sources of financial support are listed below.
1. Tuition waivers
Tuition waivers excuse students from paying tuition (and sometimes fees) to the university. They are usually granted on a yearly basis and they are sometimes contingent on the student agreeing to work as a research or teaching assistant (see below). Tuition waivers can be either full (i.e., university waives 100% tuition) or partial (i.e., university waives X% tuition).
2. Scholarships and grants
Scholarships and grants are either need-based or merit-based. Typically, students are not required to repay money awarded from scholarships and grants. Scholarships and grants can be awarded by the university, department, or external funding sources such as the APA. Often, scholarships are earmarked for special purposes (e.g., minority students, training mental health practitioners who want to serve in underprivileged areas).
3. Assistantships
Students who receive assistantships work on a part-time basis in exchange for tuition waivers and/or a monthly stipend. Teaching assistants are required to teach or assist in teaching undergraduate psychology courses. Research assistants are required to help psychology professors with their research. Clinic assistants are required to perform psychological services in a mental health clinic, hospital, school, or other human service agency. In most cases, teaching, research, and clinic assistants are engaging in activities that advance their professional development. Consequently, assistantships are unlike most part-time jobs; they allow students to develop their skills as psychologists.
4. Loans
Many students borrow money from banks, state educational loan authorities, and the federal government to help subsidize their education. In a survey of recent graduates, 76.9% of doctoral level clinical/counseling psychologists and 64.4% of non-clinical/counseling psychologists reported taking out some loans to help finance their graduate education. The median debt incurred by clinical/counseling psychologists was $50,000. The median debt incurred by non-clinical/counseling psychologists was $25,000 (American Psychological Association, 2007).
Students should not forget about potential debt as they consider graduate education. A student who incurs $50,000 of debt in graduate school, at an interest rate of 5.4%, would be required to pay approximately $540 per month to eliminate the debt in 10 years. The American Psychological Association (2007) provides the following table to help students anticipate the real-world impact of debt on life after graduate school.
| Loan amount* | Interest rate (%) | Monthly payment ($) | Available income ($) ** | Total loan payments ($) |
| $50,000 | 5.4 | 540 | 2,460 | 64,819 |
| 6.4 | 565 | 2,435 | 67,824 | |
| 7.4 | 590 | 2,410 | 70,908 | |
| $75,000 | 5.4 | 810 | 2,190 | 97,229 |
| 6.4 | 848 | 2,153 | 101,736 | |
| 7.4 | 886 | 2,114 | 106,363 |
From American Psychological Association (2007).
* Assumes a 10-year fixed term loan. ** This figure is the monthly income available after taxes and loan repayment on the basis of a $50,000 annual salary ($4,167 per month) and a tax rate of 28% ($1,167 per month).
To learn more:
American Psychological Association. (2007). Getting in: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology. Washington, DC: Author.
Appleby, D.C., & Appleby, K.M. (2006). Kisses of death in the graduate school application process. Teaching of Psychology, 33, 19-24.
Norcross, J.C., Kohout, J.L., & Wicherski, M. (2005). Graduate study in psychology. American Psychologist, 60, 959-975.
Sayette, M.A., Mayne, T.J., & Norcross, J.C. (2006). Insider’s guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology. New York: Guilford Press.