Table 6.  Mean Acceptance Rates in Graduate Psychology Programs (% of students who apply and are accepted to a particular program)

Area                                                                            Masters                        Doctoral

Clinical Psychology                                                    37%                               (table)

Clinical Neuropsychology                                           ---                                    26%^a

Cognitive Psychology                                                 40%                                  16%

Community Psychology                                              61%                                  24%

Counseling Psychology                                               63%                                  30%

Developmental Psychology                                        44%                                  20%

Educational Psychology                                             57%^a                                 48%

Experimental Psychology                                           39%                                  15%

Health Psychology                                                      41%                                  16%

Industrial/Organizational Psychology                         52%                                  27%

Neuroscience                                                               32%^a                                 15%

Quantitative Psychology                                             78%                                  36%

School Psychology                                                      34%                                  31%

Social & Personality Psychology                                39%                                  12%

Sources:  American Psychological Association. (2010). Graduate Applications, Acceptances, Enrollments, and Degrees Awarded to Master’s- and Doctoral-Level Students in U.S. and Canadian Graduate Departments of Psychology: 2008-2009.

^aData taken from  Norcross, J. C., Kohout, J. L., & Wicherski, M. (2005). Graduate study in psychology: 1971 to 2004. American Psychologist, 60, 959-975.

Table 7.  Mean Acceptance Rates and Financial Assistance by Type of APA-Accredited Program in Clinical Psychology

Free-                                   University-                  Practice-                      Equal-                   Research-

standing                  based                           oriented                       emphasis                   oriented

PsyD                                   PsyD                           PhD                             PhD                               PhD

% of applicants accepted                               50%                            35%                             16%                            14%                                   7%

% of incoming students given

tuition waiver only                                  0%                              1%                               7%                              3%                                    0%

assistantship only                                               13%                            22%                             57%                             20%                             8%

waiver and assistantship                          1%                            12%                             42%                            54%                                   89%

Source:  Norcross, J. C., Ellis, J. L., & Sayette, M. A. (2010).  Getting in and getting money:  A comparative analysis of admission standards, acceptance rates, and financial assistance across the research-practice continuum in clinical psychology programs. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 4, 99-104.

            Getting In: Average Acceptance Rates                                                  Getting Money: Average % Receiving Full Support

                  Free         Univ          Univ      Practice-   Equal       Reseach-                                                            Free         Univ        Univ        Practice-   Equal                  Reseach-

                standing     Profes        Dept       oriented   emphasis oriented                                                           standing     Profes      Dept         oriented                emphasis   oriented

PsyD       PsyD         PsyD     PhD        PhD        PhD                                                                  PsyD       PsyD       PsyD       PhD        PhD                  PhD

                                Free-             University       University      Practice-         Equal             Research-

                                standing        Professional    Department    oriented          emphasis        oriented

                                PsyD             School  PsyD   PsyD              PhD                PhD               PhD