Yes, but the type of accreditation that matters depends on what you plan to do with the degree. For doctoral-level clinical psychology, APA-CoA accreditation is a licensure requirement in most states. For bachelor’s and master’s programs, institutional accreditation is the baseline standard, and employers broadly expect it.
Not all accreditation carries the same weight, and the difference matters at every stage of the decision. Choosing an unaccredited school can affect your financial aid eligibility, your path to licensure, and whether employers treat your degree as legitimate. What you need to verify depends on the degree level you’re pursuing.
What Counts as an Accredited Psychology Program?
Two separate layers apply. Institutional accreditation covers the entire school and is granted by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This is the baseline credential that makes a school eligible to distribute federal financial aid. Historically, degrees from institutions accredited by what were known as regional accreditors have been more widely accepted for transfer and graduate admission, and many universities still hold that form of accreditation.
Programmatic accreditation applies to a specific department or degree program, not the whole institution. In psychology, the primary programmatic body is the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation, which accredits doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology. NASP, the National Association of School Psychologists, approves specialist-level school psychology programs. There is no APA-CoA accreditation for bachelor’s or master’s programs in psychology. For a full breakdown of each body’s scope and requirements, see accrediting bodies for psychology degrees.
Does the Type of Accreditation Affect Your Licensure Path?
For doctoral-level clinical psychology, yes. Most state licensing boards require applicants to hold a degree from an APA-CoA-accredited program to sit for the EPPP, the national licensure exam for psychologists. Without that credential, you may not meet eligibility requirements in your state, regardless of your clinical training or supervised hours. A small number of states offer equivalency review processes, but approval is case-by-case and not guaranteed.
At the master’s level, requirements vary by specialty. CACREP accredits counseling programs, CSWE accredits social work programs, and NASP approves specialist-level school psychology programs. Because credentialing requirements differ by state, check with your state licensing board before enrolling in any program.
What Happens to Financial Aid If Your School Isn’t Institutionally Accredited?
If the institution doesn’t hold accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, you can’t receive federal financial aid, including Pell Grants and federal student loans. This applies to institutional accreditation, not programmatic accreditation. A school can lack APA-CoA programmatic accreditation while still being fully institutionally accredited. Students there can still access federal aid. The two questions are separate.
Enrolling at an institution with no recognized accreditation at all means paying out of pocket or relying on private loans, which typically carry higher interest rates than federal options.
Do Employers Care Whether Your Psychology Degree Is Accredited?
Most employers expect institutional accreditation as a baseline. Beyond that, expectations depend on the role. Clinical and hospital positions, university research roles, and federal agency jobs often require APA-accredited doctoral degrees. For bachelor’s- and master’s-level positions in social services, human resources, or community organizations, institutional accreditation is typically the relevant standard.
Online programs can meet both requirements. Institutional accreditation and APA-CoA accreditation are both available to online psychology degree programs, so the delivery format doesn’t determine accreditation status. Apply the same criteria to an online program as to an in-person one.
How Do You Verify Whether a Program Is Accredited?
For institutional accreditation, use the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. For APA-CoA accreditation, the APA maintains a public directory of accredited doctoral programs on its website, searchable by program type and state. When reviewing a program’s status, note whether accreditation is listed as active, on probation, or in candidacy. The distinction matters.
For NASP-approved programs, the NASP website maintains a current list by institution and program type. Always go directly to the accrediting body’s website rather than relying on a school’s own marketing materials.
Find accredited psychology programs by state, degree level, and specialty area.