What you’ll learn in this article…
- Vermont clinical and counseling psychologists earn a median annual wage of $79,550 according to May 2025 BLS state data.
- Champlain College offers the only fully online, Vermont-based master's program in psychology as of 2026.
- State licensure requires at least 700 supervised clinical hours, with a minimum of 600 completed during internship.
- APA, CACREP, and regional accreditation each serve different roles in determining licensure eligibility and credential portability.
How many psychology programs does Vermont actually offer, and is going out-of-state or online the smarter move? The in-state pool is genuinely small: only a handful of accredited bachelor's and master's options operate within the state, and as of 2026 just one Vermont institution delivers a fully online master's in psychology. That scarcity changes the math for residents weighing cost, licensure portability, and clinical placement access.
Net prices in Vermont range from roughly $18,000 at the public flagship to about $36,000 at private institutions, with median earnings ten years out landing between $50,000 and $58,000 for bachelor's graduates. With fewer programs competing for students, fit matters more than rank, and the trade-offs between hybrid, online, and on-campus formats carry real weight for working adults. Students drawn to doctoral-level work should also know that Vermont houses only one APA-accredited clinical psychology doctorate program, making out-of-state planning essential for many applicants.
Best Psychology Programs in Vermont: Rankings Overview
Vermont's psychology landscape is compact but purposeful. The two programs ranked here each serve a distinct learner profile: one offers a hybrid pathway rooted in local community agencies, while the other delivers a fully online experience built for working adults. Our rankings weight net price and financial aid availability heavily, so "best" in this context means the program that delivers strong outcomes relative to what students actually pay after grants and scholarships. Graduation rates listed below reflect institution-wide figures, not program-specific completion data.
- Net price after financial aid
- Institution-wide graduation rate
- Online or hybrid availability
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- Graduate debt at completion
- NCES-IPEDS federal institutional data — nces.ed.gov
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- Independent program research
Vermont State University
Vermont State University is a public institution that keeps costs accessible for in-state students, with a net price of roughly $18,212 after aid. Its Applied Psychology & Human Services program blends classroom instruction with hands-on field placements embedded in Vermont community agencies, giving students direct exposure to the social service landscape they are likely to enter. The university reports a 47.2% institution-wide graduation rate, so prospective students should plan proactively with advisors to stay on track.
- Hybrid format blends online coursework with on-campus sessions
- Two required field placements at local Vermont agencies
- Social justice and systemic analysis woven into core curriculum
- Bridge pathway available into a related master's degree
- 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio supports individualized advising
- Community service-learning projects integrated into coursework
- Flexible elective options let students tailor their focus
Applied Psychology & Human Services, B.S. — Hybrid
Champlain College
Champlain College, a private institution in Burlington, offers a 100% online Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology priced at $335 per credit. Although its sticker tuition is significantly higher than public alternatives, the college's net price of $35,860 reflects meaningful financial aid packages for many students. With a 65.2% institution-wide graduation rate and a curriculum aligned with APA undergraduate guidelines, Champlain positions graduates for applied roles in advocacy, corporate wellness, and human resources.
- Entirely online, completable in roughly three years and four months
- Curriculum aligned with APA undergraduate guidelines
- $335 per credit for the online program
- 40 total courses covering social psychology and cognitive processes
- Designed for 12 to 15 hours of weekly study commitment
- Career-focused tracks in advocacy, wellness, and HR
- No relocation required, ideal for rural Vermont learners
Applied Psychology, B.A. — Online
Online vs. On-Campus Psychology Programs in Vermont
Vermont's small size means the in-state pool of psychology programs is limited, especially at the graduate level. As of 2026, Champlain College's MS in Positive Organizational Psychology and Development is the only Vermont-based, fully online master's program in psychology. On-campus options like the University of Vermont's MA in Experimental or Clinical Psychology and Saint Michael's College MA in Clinical-Counseling Psychology offer strong local training but require physical attendance. Many Vermont residents bridge the gap by enrolling in online programs from neighboring New England schools or national providers such as Franklin University.
Pros
- Online programs offer scheduling flexibility that allows working adults and rural residents to earn a degree without relocating.
- Studying online opens access to dozens of accredited programs beyond Vermont's limited in-state options, broadening specialization choices.
- Total cost is often lower online because students avoid campus housing, commuting expenses, and some institutional fees.
- Hybrid formats at some schools combine online coursework with required in-person clinical intensives, balancing convenience with hands-on learning.
- National online providers let Vermont students compare tuition rates across multiple institutions and choose the most affordable fit.
Cons
- On-campus programs provide face-to-face practicum supervision and direct mentorship from Vermont-based clinicians, which is hard to replicate virtually.
- Structured cohort experiences on campus foster peer support networks and professional relationships rooted in the local mental health community.
- Clinical placements are easier to coordinate when faculty have established partnerships with nearby hospitals, community agencies, and private practices.
- In-person students can attend local conferences, guest lectures, and networking events that strengthen ties to Vermont's behavioral health workforce.
- Some licensure boards look closely at how clinical hours were supervised, and in-person oversight can simplify the documentation process.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Tuition and Cost Comparison for Vermont Psychology Programs
Costs for a psychology degree in Vermont vary significantly depending on the institution. Net price reflects the approximate institution-level average after grants and scholarships, but your actual cost will differ based on financial aid, residency, and enrollment status. Median graduate debt figures come from federal data and represent typical borrowing across all students at each school.
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Accreditation and Program Quality: APA, CACREP, and Regional Standards
Accreditation is one of the most consequential factors when choosing a psychology or counseling program, because it directly determines whether you can become licensed and where your credentials will be recognized. Vermont students need to understand three distinct layers of accreditation, each serving a different purpose.
Regional Accreditation: The Baseline
Every legitimate college or university in Vermont holds regional accreditation through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). This institutional-level stamp confirms that a school meets broad academic and financial standards. Regional accreditation is a prerequisite for federal financial aid eligibility and for transferring credits. However, it alone does not guarantee that a specific psychology or counseling program meets the clinical and curricular standards required for licensure.
APA Accreditation: The Doctoral Standard
The American Psychological Association accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and school psychology. If you plan to pursue a doctorate and practice as a licensed psychologist, graduating from an APA-accredited program is strongly preferred and, in many states, functionally required. As of the 2025-2026 academic year, the University of Vermont's PhD in Clinical Psychology is the only APA-accredited doctoral program in the state.12 Vermont has no APA-accredited counseling psychology doctoral programs.3 Students seeking a counseling psychology doctorate would need to look at counseling doctoral programs in neighboring states or online options housed at accredited institutions elsewhere.
CACREP and MPCAC: Master's-Level Accreditation
Master's-level students pursuing careers in clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, or marriage and family therapy should prioritize programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). You can explore CACREP accredited counseling programs in Vermont for a closer look at what is available locally. CACREP accreditation aligns curriculum with national licensure standards and makes it significantly easier to obtain reciprocity if you move to another state. For students in more research-oriented or applied master's tracks, the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) is another recognized credential. Vermont's licensing board evaluates applicants based on whether their graduate training meets specific coursework and supervised-experience thresholds, and programs without specialized accreditation may leave gaps that complicate or delay the process.
Why This Matters for Your Career
Accreditation status affects more than just the diploma on your wall:
- Licensure eligibility: Vermont's Office of Professional Regulation references accreditation standards when reviewing applications for licensed psychologist, licensed clinical mental health counselor, and related credentials.
- Interstate mobility: If you ever relocate, states with strict licensure requirements often mandate graduation from an accredited program. Earning your degree from a CACREP or APA-accredited program avoids costly remediation later.
- Employer expectations: Hospitals, community mental health centers, and VA facilities frequently require or prefer candidates from accredited programs.
Before committing to any program, verify its current accreditation status directly through the APA accredited programs search or CACREP's directory. Accreditation can lapse or change, so confirm the most recent status rather than relying on a school's marketing materials alone.
Vermont Psychology Licensure Requirements: Steps to Practice
Vermont offers two main licensure tracks for psychology professionals: the licensed psychologist credential (available at both the doctoral and master's level) and the licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) pathway for master's-level graduates. Both tracks require supervised clinical experience, a standardized exam, and a formal application to the relevant state board. Here is the doctoral-level psychologist pathway through the Vermont Board of Psychological Examiners.
Practicum, Internship, and Clinical Experience in Vermont Programs
Clinical hours are the spine of any Vermont counseling or psychology master's program, and the state's licensure board sets a clear floor: 700 supervised hours, with at least 600 in internship and no more than 100 counted as practicum.1 That structure shapes how every accredited program in Vermont builds its training sequence.
What Programs Typically Require
Master's programs in Vermont generally meet or exceed the LCMHC minimums, often offering tiered options so students can graduate ready for licensure. Vermont State University's clinical mental health counseling track, for example, lets students choose between 700-hour and 1,000-hour pathways depending on career goals.2 Saint Michael's College structures its internship as a 600-hour placement spread across the academic year, with students typically in the field about 20 hours per week and attending a weekly internship seminar back on campus.3 Internships at the master's level are run as formal academic courses, not informal arrangements, and the Vermont board also expects 100 supplemental supervised hours after the degree before full licensure.1
Where Vermont Students Train
Placement settings cluster around a handful of anchors: community mental health agencies (Howard Center in Burlington is a frequent Saint Michael's site), the UVM Medical Center system, the White River Junction VA, regional hospitals, and K-12 school districts.3 UVM's clinical psychology doctoral program coordinates placements through Vermont Psychological Services and routinely places trainees in school-based settings as part of its five-year curriculum plus a final internship year.4
Rural Placement Challenges and How to Vet a Program
Vermont's rural geography is the wrinkle. Outside Chittenden County, qualified sites and licensed supervisors thin out quickly, which can be a real obstacle for online students expecting to train near home. Before enrolling, ask two specific questions: Does the program arrange and approve placements directly, or are students responsible for sourcing their own sites? And does the program maintain affiliation agreements with sites in your county? Vermont master's counseling programs generally require program approval of any placement, but the legwork of finding one can fall heavily on the student in remote regions.3
Vermont's rural character means psychology students often travel between clinical placements, but this mirrors the state's pressing need for providers in remote areas, where shortages are most acute. Graduates who commit to serving these communities can build rewarding careers while filling a vital gap in care.
Career Outcomes and Salary Expectations for Vermont Psychologists
Clinical and counseling psychologists in Vermont earn a median annual wage of $79,550, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 state data.1 That figure sits below the national median for the occupation but reflects Vermont's smaller market and lower cost-of-living regions outside Burlington and Chittenden County. Entry-level practitioners (10th percentile) earn around $53,340, while experienced psychologists in the 90th percentile clear $148,490.1
How Earnings Vary by Role and Credential
The salary picture shifts substantially depending on which path a psychology graduate takes:
- Doctoral-level clinical and counseling psychologists: $79,550 median, with the top quartile pushing past $100,000.1
- Psychologists, all other (research, industrial-organizational, specialized roles): mean wage of $76,490, top earners near $140,170.2
- Master's-level mental health counselors: roughly $55,000 to $57,000 median, with experienced counselors at the 75th percentile earning $70,000 to $73,000.
The gap between doctoral and master's credentials is real but narrows over time as licensed counselors build private caseloads. For a broader look at how these figures compare nationally, see our counselor salary breakdown by degree and specialty.
Program-Level Earnings: What Vermont Graduates Actually Make
Federal data on bachelor's-level outcomes gives a partial picture. Champlain College's Applied Psychology graduates report median earnings around $58,000 roughly a decade into their careers, while Vermont State University's Applied Psychology and Human Services alumni land near $50,000 at the same career stage. These figures include graduates who pursued non-clinical paths (case management, HR, social services), so they understate what those who went on to licensure ultimately earn. Students interested in that non-clinical track can explore applied psychology degree options to understand the full range of career possibilities. Graduate-program earnings data for Vermont's master's and doctoral psychology programs is not yet published at the program level.
Where Vermont Psychologists Work, and What That Pays
Employment settings shape compensation more than almost any other variable:
- Private practice: Highest earning ceiling, particularly for licensed psychologists who can bill insurance directly or run cash-pay practices in Burlington, Montpelier, or Stowe.
- Hospitals and integrated health systems: Steady salaries in the $80,000 to $110,000 range for licensed psychologists, with benefits.
- Community mental health centers: Lower base pay ($60,000 to $80,000) but loan-repayment eligibility through state and federal programs serving designated shortage areas.
- Schools: School psychologists in Vermont follow district pay scales, typically $55,000 to $85,000 depending on experience.
A Demand-Driven Market
Vermont faces a documented mental health provider shortage, particularly across the Northeast Kingdom and other rural counties. That shortage translates into real leverage for new graduates: signing bonuses at community mental health agencies, telehealth caseloads that fill quickly, and federal loan-repayment options through the National Health Service Corps for clinicians who practice in designated areas. For students weighing whether Vermont can support a sustainable career, the job-market signal is positive.
How to Choose the Right Psychology Program in Vermont
Choosing a psychology program is rarely just about rankings. The right fit depends on where you want to practice, what population you hope to serve, and how your life looks during the years you are in school. Working through a few concrete questions early can save you from switching programs midway.
Match the Specialization to Your Goals
Vermont programs cluster around clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and general psychology. If you are drawn to one of those tracks, you have solid in-state options to consider. Forensic psychology is a different story. As of the 2025-2026 admissions cycle, no Vermont institution offers a master's-level forensic psychology concentration.1 Vermont State University does offer a forensic psychology bachelor's degree at its Castleton and Johnson campuses, which can ground you in the field, but graduate-level forensic specialization currently runs through national online programs rather than anything based in Vermont.2 If forensic work is your target, plan to look beyond state borders for your master's degree while verifying that the program you choose satisfies Vermont's licensure requirements.
Format, Schedule, and Time-to-Degree
Online, hybrid, and on-campus formats each carry real trade-offs. Full-time students typically finish a master's in two to three years; part-time timelines stretch to four or five. That gap matters more than it might seem, because Vermont's licensure clock often starts after you have your degree in hand. A longer path to graduation means a longer wait before you can begin accumulating supervised hours toward licensure. If you are balancing work or family, part-time enrollment may be necessary, but go in with a clear-eyed sense of what that means for your overall timeline.
GRE Requirements and Admissions Trends
Many psychology and counseling master's programs online have moved toward test-optional admissions, and that trend continued through the 2025-2026 cycle. That said, some doctoral-track and more competitive programs still require GRE scores, so check each program's current admissions page rather than assuming the exam is off the table. Requirements can change year to year.
Accreditation and Licensure Alignment
This is the step most students underestimate. Vermont recognizes two psychology licensing levels: a master's credential and a doctoral credential.1 If your goal is licensure as a counselor, the program's accreditation body matters as much as its reputation. Programs accredited by CACREP align directly with Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor requirements in Vermont. Programs accredited only by a regional body may satisfy academic standards without satisfying the state licensing board. Before you apply anywhere, confirm that the program's accreditation matches the specific license you intend to hold.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vermont Psychology Programs
Prospective students researching psychology programs in Vermont often have questions about program structure, licensure, and career outcomes. Below are answers to the most common questions, drawing on current accreditation standards and state board requirements.
