There are three psychology doctoral programs in New Mexico, all PhDs rather than PsyDs: Counseling Psychology and School Psychology at New Mexico State University, and Clinical Psychology at the University of New Mexico. NMSU’s School Psychology PhD is accredited on contingency by the APA. Programs run four to five years and meet part of the state’s psychologist licensure requirements.
BLS data show New Mexico’s clinical and counseling psychologists earned a median annual salary of $124,800 as of May 2025, and Projections Central estimates 23.3 percent growth for the occupation in the state between 2022 and 2032, with about 20 job openings a year. You can see how psychologists’ pay compares across specialties nationally. Both universities train doctoral-level psychologists through a similar model: full-time coursework, a required practicum, and a pre-doctoral internship before the degree is conferred. Deciding among the psychology doctoral programs in New Mexico usually comes down to which specialty fits, counseling, school, or clinical psychology, and understanding the difference between a PhD and a PsyD is worth doing before you apply.
PhD vs. PsyD: Why New Mexico Only Offers PhD Programs
Both degrees lead to psychologist licensure and require passing the EPPP, the national exam recognized by state licensing boards. The difference is the training model. A PhD follows the scientist-practitioner or clinical-science approach, weights coursework toward research methodology, and typically funds students through assistantships tied to faculty research. A PsyD follows the practitioner-scholar model, weights training toward direct clinical practice over original research, and more often runs on student-paid tuition rather than funded assistantships.
New Mexico’s two doctoral-granting institutions, New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico, offer PhDs only. Students who want the more practice-focused PsyD track will need to look at programs in a neighboring state. See our breakdown of how the two degrees differ in practice for more on how the training model affects day-to-day program life.
New Mexico Psychology Doctoral Programs at a Glance
Every program below is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation, though NMSU’s School Psychology PhD currently holds accredited-on-contingency status while it works toward full accreditation.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico State University | PhD | Counseling Psychology | Las Cruces, NM |
| New Mexico State University | PhD | School Psychology | Las Cruces, NM |
| University of New Mexico | PhD | Clinical Psychology | Albuquerque, NM |
New Mexico State University
NMSU’s Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, housed within the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation, offers two APA-related doctoral tracks in psychology: Counseling Psychology and School Psychology. Both are grounded in the scientist-practitioner model and run out of the department’s on-campus training clinic.
PhD in Counseling Psychology
NMSU’s Counseling Psychology program was first accredited by the American Psychological Association in 1995 and was reaccredited in 2021 for a ten-year term, with the next site visit scheduled for 2031. Students complete a practicum each semester, applying theory to real counseling modalities through the department’s Counseling & Educational Psychology Training & Research Clinic. A faculty advisor mentors each student’s research and chairs their dissertation, and students present their work at a multicultural research symposium during their second year. The counseling psychology specialty emphasizes talk-based intervention and prevention work over the assessment-heavy focus of clinical psychology. Completing the program typically takes three years of full-time coursework plus one year of predoctoral internship and dissertation work.
Accreditation: American Psychological Association (accredited 1995, reaccredited through 2031)
Location: Las Cruces, NM. Program website
PhD in School Psychology
NMSU’s School Psychology PhD prepares school psychologists to serve as scientists, practitioners, and advocates in schools and other health service settings, with a stated focus on addressing state and national shortages of credentialed personnel who can serve children with disabilities. Candidates complete 81 credit hours of coursework, at least 450 hours of practicum, and an 1,800-hour doctoral internship, of which 750 hours must occur in a school setting. The program trains students in data-based decision-making, assessment, consultation, and intervention, and it prepares graduates for New Mexico’s Level 3 school psychologist licensure. Anyone weighing this path against a master’s-level route should compare it with the education requirements for school psychologists more broadly.
Accreditation: American Psychological Association, Accredited on Contingency (effective December 2024, contingency expires December 2029). Also accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
Location: Las Cruces, NM. Program website
University of New Mexico
PhD in Clinical Psychology
UNM’s Department of Psychology offers a PhD in Clinical Psychology built on the clinical science model, integrating research and practice rather than treating them as separate tracks. Research strengths in the program include addictions and substance use, eating disorders, cultural adaptation of evidence-based interventions, and health disparities. Students choose training emphases in areas like health psychology, quantitative methods, and diversity-focused practice, alongside coursework satisfying the APA’s Discipline-Specific Knowledge requirements. The department typically funds admitted students for five years through assistantships that include a tuition waiver and health insurance, provided they remain in good academic standing. The program is PhD-only. UNM does not offer a terminal master’s degree or an online or part-time option, though students typically earn a master’s along the way while working toward the doctorate.
Accreditation: American Psychological Association. Also accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) through 2031.
Location: Albuquerque, NM. Program website
New Mexico’s psychology doctoral landscape is small by design, with two public research universities training scientist-practitioners across counseling, school, and clinical settings statewide. Application deadlines, funding packages, and faculty research areas change from year to year, so confirm current details directly with each department before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many doctoral psychology programs does New Mexico have?
New Mexico has three APA-related doctoral psychology programs across two universities: a Counseling Psychology PhD and a School Psychology PhD at New Mexico State University, and a Clinical Psychology PhD at the University of New Mexico.
Are there any PsyD programs in New Mexico?
No. As of this writing, no APA-accredited PsyD program operates in New Mexico. Both New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico offer PhDs only. Applicants who specifically want a PsyD will need to look at programs in a neighboring state.
Will a New Mexico psychology PhD qualify me for state licensure?
An APA-accredited doctoral degree is one piece of New Mexico’s psychologist licensure requirements, but accreditation alone doesn’t guarantee eligibility. The state also requires supervised experience hours and passing scores on the EPPP and the New Mexico Jurisprudence Exam. Review the full licensing requirements for psychologists by state and confirm current standards with the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department before you enroll.
What’s the difference between the Counseling Psychology and Clinical Psychology PhDs?
Counseling psychology, NMSU’s track, tends to emphasize talk-based therapy, prevention, and adjustment across community and academic settings. Clinical psychology, UNM’s track, puts more weight on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of more severe mental health conditions. Both lead to psychologist licensure and require the EPPP, but the day-to-day training looks different.
Can I complete a psychology doctorate in New Mexico online?
No. Neither NMSU’s nor UNM’s doctoral psychology programs offer an online or hybrid format. Both require full-time, in-person coursework, practicum placements, and clinic-based training that can’t be completed remotely.
Select your state below to find accredited psychology programs, application links, and licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary data and Projections Central 2022-2032 job growth forecasts for Psychologists (including Clinical & Counseling, Industrial-Organizational, and School Psychologists) and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2026.