An online child psychology degree is worth pursuing at a school with institutional accreditation, a curriculum built around child development and family systems, and the scheduling flexibility to actually finish. This list features 10 accredited programs, eight bachelor’s and two graduate, chosen for how they deliver on those three criteria so you can match a program to your schedule and career goals.
Finding an online degree with a genuine focus on child psychology is trickier than it sounds. Most psychology programs offer a child development course or two, but a smaller number have built full concentrations or tracks in child and adolescent psychology. This list covers 10 programs selected on three criteria: institutional accreditation, a curriculum centered on child and adolescent psychology rather than a single elective, and fully online or blended delivery, with most coursework delivered without required full-time campus attendance.
Bachelor’s vs. Graduate Degrees in Child Psychology
If your goal is to work independently with children in a clinical role as a licensed child psychologist, clinical social worker, or licensed professional counselor, you’ll need a graduate degree. A bachelor’s in child psychology doesn’t license you to diagnose or treat independently. Still, it’s a solid foundation for master’s or doctoral study and prepares you well for roles in education, child advocacy, case management, and human services.
Most programs on this list are bachelor’s degrees. Two are graduate options: the Chicago School’s online MA in Applied Psychology with a Child and Adolescent Development concentration, and the University of Calgary’s MEd in School and Applied Child Psychology. If you’re weighing a BA versus a BS, most graduate programs treat them as equivalent. The BA tends toward social science breadth and the BS toward research methods and quantitative coursework, but neither closes the door to graduate study in psychology.
10 Online Child Psychology Degree Programs at a Glance
Tuition figures below reflect recently published rates and should be confirmed on each school’s website before you apply, as rates change annually. The accreditation listed is institutional. APA accreditation does not apply to bachelor’s child psychology programs. It currently covers qualifying health service psychology master’s and doctoral programs, internships, and postdoctoral residencies.
| School | Degree | Tuition | Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chicago School of Professional Psychology | MA in Applied Psychology (Child & Adolescent Dev.) | $1,409/credit | WSCUC (regional) |
| 2. Eastern Kentucky University | BS in Psychology (Child & Family) | $443/credit | SACSCOC (regional) |
| 3. Southern New Hampshire University | BA in Psychology (Child & Adolescent Dev.) | $354/credit | NECHE (regional) |
| 4. Liberty University | BS in Psychology (Developmental) | $390/credit | SACSCOC (regional) |
| 5. Florida Tech University | BA in Applied Psychology (Child Advocacy) | $520/credit | SACSCOC (regional) |
| 6. The Women’s College at Bay Path University | BA in Psychology (Child Psychology) | $410/credit | NECHE (regional) |
| 7. Baker College | BS in Psychology | $450/credit | HLC (regional) |
| 8. Middle Tennessee State University | BS in Psychology | $331/credit in-state / $1,190/credit out-of-state | SACSCOC (regional) |
| 9. University of Calgary | MEd, School and Applied Child Psychology | $980.34/course domestic / $2,723.70/course international | Provincial quality assurance (Canada) |
| 10. University of Massachusetts Global | BA in Psychology (Child Psychology Conc.) | $500/credit | WSCUC (regional) |
1. Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The Chicago School is a not-for-profit institution focused exclusively on psychology. Its online MA in Applied Psychology with a Child and Adolescent Development concentration is an applied, non-licensure master’s program. Topics in the concentration have included addiction, crisis intervention, and work with young offenders, though students should confirm the current course list before applying.
Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), regional.
Tuition: $1,409 per credit hour (2024-2025 published rate).
Full profile on the Chicago School of Professional Psychology
2. Eastern Kentucky University
EKU’s online BS in Psychology with a Child and Family Psychology concentration runs on accelerated eight-week courses with no campus visits required. The program opens six enrollment windows per year, so you’re not locked into a single fall start date. Coursework includes abnormal psychology, psychological interviewing and reporting, behavior therapy, and clinical psychology. You can also add minors or certificates in areas like early childhood education, infant and toddler care, or youth services alongside the degree.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), regional.
Tuition: $443 per credit hour. Active duty military pay $250 per credit hour.
3. Southern New Hampshire University
SNHU’s online BA in Psychology with a Child and Adolescent Development concentration covers childhood and adolescent disorders, educational psychology, and social development. The program does not lead directly to licensure. To graduate, students complete one experiential requirement from available options, which may include an internship, independent study, practicum, or elective. Verify current requirements directly with SNHU before enrolling.
Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), regional.
Tuition: $354 per credit hour.
Full profile on Southern New Hampshire University
4. Liberty University
Liberty’s online BS in Psychology with a Developmental Psychology concentration can be completed in 3.5 years for full-time students. However, completion time depends on transfer credits, course load, and enrollment pattern. The program integrates a Christian faith perspective into its coursework on human development and behavior. That framing is a meaningful part of how Liberty approaches the curriculum, so it’s worth knowing upfront whether it fits your goals.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), regional.
Tuition: $390 per credit hour full-time (2025-2026). Active duty military pay $250 per credit hour.
5. Florida Tech University
Florida Tech’s online BA in Applied Psychology with a Child Advocacy concentration situates child psychology within a liberal arts and community-focused framework. Coursework covers child development, child advocacy, and community psychology. Florida Tech is a research-oriented institution, and online students should verify access to faculty research, mentoring, and academic resources before enrolling.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), regional.
Tuition: $520 per credit hour (online undergraduate rate).
Full profile on Florida Tech University
6. The Women’s College at Bay Path University
Bay Path University’s Women’s College offers an online BA in Psychology with a Child Psychology concentration in a fully asynchronous format, available full- or part-time. The program runs on the SOUL platform, which delivers accelerated courses with academic coaches and a personalized learning structure. The child psychology concentration covers child development, learning, and psychology topics related to children and adolescents within the broader BA in Psychology.
Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), regional.
Tuition: $410 per credit hour. Veterans pay $350 per credit hour.
7. Baker College
Baker College offers an online BS in Psychology that includes coursework in child and adolescent psychology, cognitive psychology, abnormal psychology, learning and motivation, sensation and perception, and cross-cultural psychology. Confirm current program availability and online delivery options directly with Baker before applying. Baker is a not-for-profit private college.
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC), regional.
Tuition: $450 per credit hour.
8. Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU’s online BS in Psychology was historically structured as a cohort program, meaning students progressed through coursework together rather than independently. Verify the current enrollment format directly with MTSU before applying, as program structures change. Full-time students have completed the degree in as little as two years in cohort formats, though actual completion time depends on transfer credit, course load, and enrollment pattern.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), regional.
Tuition: Approximately $331 per credit hour for Tennessee residents and approximately $1,190 per credit hour for out-of-state students. Out-of-state students enrolled exclusively in online courses may qualify for the MTSU eRate. Confirm current rates directly with MTSU.
Full profile on Middle Tennessee State University
9. University of Calgary
The University of Calgary’s MEd in School and Applied Child Psychology is the only Canadian program on this list, and it’s a blended program rather than fully online. Coursework runs online in the evenings, but the program requires a two-week on-campus summer residency at the University of Calgary main campus plus a 1,200-hour field internship in school or community settings. It prepares graduates for roles as school psychologists or in applied child psychology settings. If you plan to work in the United States after completing the degree, confirm how the MEd is recognized in your target state before enrolling.
Accreditation: The University of Calgary is a Canadian public university subject to provincial quality assurance and degree authority. Universities Canada is not an accrediting body.
Tuition: $980.34 per course for domestic students and $2,723.70 per course for international students, per the 2026-2027 UCalgary Academic Calendar. The program requires 17 courses to complete.
Full profile on the University of Calgary
10. University of Massachusetts Global
Program website | Full profile on University of Massachusetts Global
University of Massachusetts Global (formerly Brandman University) offers an online BA in Psychology with a 12-credit Child Psychology concentration covering child development, learning, and treatment approaches from biological, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives. The program includes core coursework in research methods, human development, and abnormal psychology. The concentration by itself doesn’t qualify you for clinical work with children, but it’s a solid foundation for graduate study in child or clinical psychology.
Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), regional.
Tuition: $500 per credit. Active duty service members and their spouses pay $250 per credit.
What to Look For in an Online Child Psychology Program
Institutional accreditation is the first filter. The regional accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, including SACSCOC, HLC, NECHE, and WSCUC, are accepted by most graduate programs for transferable credit and program quality. If you plan to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree after your bachelor’s, check whether your target grad programs require a regionally accredited undergraduate credential before you enroll.
The second thing to evaluate is how deep the child psychology focus actually runs. Some programs offer a general BA or BS with one or two child development electives and call it a concentration. Others have a defined 12-to-18-credit track with coursework in child and adolescent disorders, family systems, developmental psychopathology, and treatment methods. If you’re planning to go on to graduate study in child psychology, the depth of that concentration matters on your application.
Format and pacing vary meaningfully between programs on this list. Most offer fully asynchronous coursework you can complete on your own schedule. EKU uses accelerated eight-week courses that let you move faster if you can carry the load. MTSU has structured its program as a cohort format, though you should verify the current delivery model before applying. The University of Calgary is a blended program with on-campus requirements, which sets it apart from the bachelor’s options here. Knowing which format fits how you actually study is worth thinking through before you commit.
Cost ranges from around $330 to over $500 per credit hour for the bachelor’s programs here. Suppose you’re planning to go on to graduate school; keeping undergraduate debt manageable matters. Several schools on this list offer reduced rates for active duty military, which is worth confirming with each school directly.
For more options, see the Top 10 Online Bachelor’s in Psychology Degree Programs and Top 10 Online Master’s in Psychology Degree Programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you work directly with children with an online degree in child psychology?
A bachelor’s in child psychology opens doors in education, child advocacy, case management, and human services. It doesn’t qualify you to provide independent clinical therapy or make diagnoses. Roles that involve clinical assessment, diagnosis, or direct treatment of children generally require a graduate degree, supervised experience, required exams, and state licensure or certification.
Is an online child psychology degree treated differently than a campus degree?
Most graduate programs and employers focus on the school’s institutional accreditation and academic record rather than delivery format. Many do not distinguish between online and on-campus degrees from regionally accredited institutions, but acceptance varies. Verify transfer credit policies, graduate school prerequisites, and employer requirements before enrolling.
What’s the difference between a child psychologist and a school psychologist?
A child psychologist is typically a licensed doctoral-level clinician with training and experience in child and adolescent assessment and treatment, subject to state law. A school psychologist works within a K-12 school system on evaluations, learning disabilities, and behavioral support. Both roles require graduate-level training and state credentialing, but the degree paths and licensing requirements differ by state.
How long does an online child psychology bachelor’s degree take?
A bachelor’s degree typically takes about 4 years of full-time study, though transfer credits, accelerated terms, part-time enrollment, and prior credit can alter the timeline. Accelerated formats, such as EKU’s eight-week courses, may allow some students to progress faster, depending on course load and scheduling.
Use the filters below to search accredited psychology programs by state, degree level, and program type.