Best School Psychology Programs in Colorado Rankings for 2026
NASP-approved EdS, PhD, and PsyD programs in Colorado, with the CDE Special Services Provider license pathway, the private-practice route through DORA, internship requirements, and school psychologist salary data for 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Colorado school psychologists earn a median of $124,770, about 30% more than the $95,990 national median (BLS, May 2025). The floor is high too: even the bottom 10% in Colorado clear $88,090, and the top 10% reach $161,570. The state employs about 1,380 school psychologists.
- You practice in public schools with a Special Services Provider (SSP) license endorsed in School Psychology from the Colorado Department of Education. To see clients in private practice, you need a separate Licensed Psychologist credential from the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners at DORA. Two different credentials, two different agencies.
- Colorado has only three NASP-approved institutions: the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver. UNC and DU train at the specialist (EdS) level, UNC and DU also run doctoral programs, and CU Denver offers an APA-accredited PsyD.
- Most Colorado programs are three-year EdS degrees built around a 1,200-hour internship (at least 600 hours in a school) plus a practicum year. The CDE requires you to pass the Praxis School Psychologist exam (#5403, passing 155) for the SSP license, the same score that earns the NCSP national certification.
- Colorado has a documented shortage of school psychologists. NASP recommends one school psychologist per 500 students, but the national ratio sits near 1,071 to 1, and rural districts struggle hardest to recruit. UNC reports a 100% employment rate for graduates over the past 20 years.
Colorado is one of the best-paid states in the country for school psychologists. The state pays a median of $124,770 a year, about 30% above the $95,990 national median, according to May 2025 BLS data. Pay tracks the certificated salary schedule most districts use, the same step-and-column scale that pays teachers, so your salary climbs with experience and graduate units on a predictable timeline. Boulder leads the state at a $143,020 median, with the Denver metro close behind.
Here is the part that trips people up. Colorado splits school psychology across two credentials. To work in public K-12 schools, where the large majority of school psychologists are employed, you need a Special Services Provider (SSP) license endorsed in School Psychology from the Colorado Department of Education. If you want to open a private practice and see families outside the school setting, that is a different license entirely, the Licensed Psychologist credential, issued by the State Board of Psychologist Examiners at DORA and built on a doctoral degree. Most people start with the CDE license and never need the DORA one.
The training path is narrow here. Colorado has only three NASP-approved institutions: the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, the University of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver. Below you will find each NASP-approved program, what the CDE and DORA credentials actually require, real salary numbers, and how to pick the program that fits where you want to work.
Best School Psychology Programs in Colorado Rankings (NASP-Approved EdS, PhD & PsyD)
All 6 programs ranked in this guide, with tuition, format, and accreditation at a glance.
| # | School | In-State Tuition | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Northern Colorado: EdS in School Psychology | See UNC Graduate School tuition (per-credit-hour resident rate) | On-campus | |
| 2 | University of Northern Colorado: PhD in School Psychology | Doctoral funding available; see UNC School Psychology program | On-campus | |
| 3 | University of Denver: EdS in School Psychology | Private university (per-quarter-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 4 | University of Denver: Rural Hybrid EdS in School Psychology | Up to 70% of tuition covered by federal and state grants for qualifying students | Hybrid | |
| 5 | University of Denver: PhD in School Psychology | Private university; 100% of admitted students receive tuition assistance | On-campus | |
| 6 | University of Colorado Denver: PsyD in School Psychology | See CU Denver School of Education & Human Development tuition | On-campus |
University of Northern Colorado: EdS in School Psychology
In-State
See UNC Graduate School tuition (per-credit-hour resident rate)
Out-of-State
Nonresident per-credit-hour rate; see UNC Graduate School
Length
3 years (68 credit hours)
Field Hours
500-hour school practicum + 1,200-hour internship
Concentrations
- One of only three NASP-approved institutions in Colorado, and the longest-running school psychology program in the state
- Reports a 100% employment rate for graduates over the past 20 years
- No GRE required for admission
- 68-credit specialist program with a 500-hour school practicum before the full 1,200-hour internship year
University of Northern Colorado: PhD in School Psychology
In-State
Doctoral funding available; see UNC School Psychology program
Out-of-State
Doctoral funding available; see UNC School Psychology program
Length
5 to 6 years (doctoral)
Field Hours
Multi-year practica + a full predoctoral internship
Concentrations
- The only APA-accredited school psychology doctoral program in Colorado
- Trains health service providers to apply psychological and educational research in schools, with children from birth to age 21
- NASP-approved at the doctoral level, so you graduate eligible for the SSP license and the NCSP
- The doctorate opens research and academic roles and supports the path to the Colorado Licensed Psychologist credential
University of Denver: EdS in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-quarter-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-quarter-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years (90 quarter credit hours)
Field Hours
1,200-hour internship (full-time over one year or half-time over two)
Concentrations
- NASP-accredited specialist program in the heart of the Denver metro, the densest school psychology job market in the state
- Every graduate becomes NASP PREPaRE certified in school crisis response, an in-demand credential at the start of your career
- Two years of coursework followed by a paid internship year; Denver-area interns earn roughly $25,000 to $40,000
- Optional concentrations in Early Childhood and Adolescent Addictions let you specialize while you train
University of Denver: Rural Hybrid EdS in School Psychology
In-State
Up to 70% of tuition covered by federal and state grants for qualifying students
Out-of-State
Designed for rural Colorado residents; see program for details
Length
3 years (90 credits)
Field Hours
1,200-hour internship in a rural Colorado school
Concentrations
- Built for students in rural Colorado who want the degree without relocating to a campus
- Coursework runs virtually from September to June, with on-campus class blocks in the summers
- 100% of admitted students receive tuition assistance, and up to 70% of tuition may be covered by federal and state grants
- Requires a letter of support from a BOCES director and a three-year commitment to serve a rural Colorado community after graduation
University of Denver: PhD in School Psychology
In-State
Private university; 100% of admitted students receive tuition assistance
Out-of-State
Private university; 100% of admitted students receive tuition assistance
Length
5 years (doctoral; MA awarded on the way)
Field Hours
Multi-year practica + a full predoctoral internship
Concentrations
- APA-accredited through July 2033, so its standing is locked in
- 100% of admitted students receive tuition assistance through Dean Scholarships or graduate assistantship waivers
- You earn an MA on the way to the doctorate and join ongoing faculty research projects
- Graduates qualify for the CDE SSP license, the NCSP, and the path to the Colorado Licensed Psychologist credential
University of Colorado Denver: PsyD in School Psychology
In-State
See CU Denver School of Education & Human Development tuition
Out-of-State
Nonresident graduate rate; see CU Denver
Length
5 years (100 graduate semester hours)
Field Hours
500+ practicum hours + 500-hour externship + 1,500+ hour internship
Concentrations
- APA-accredited and NASP-approved doctoral program leading to the CDE SSP license and the DORA Licensed Psychologist credential
- One of a handful of APA-accredited programs nationally offering an optional bilingual (Spanish-English) school psychology concentration
- The only school psychology program offering an optional graduate credential in the Neurosequential Model in Education
- 100 semester-hour program with practica, an externship, and a 1,500-plus-hour internship in the field
Colorado School Psychologist License Requirements (CDE SSP and DORA)
The licensing board, exam pathway, and supervised hours you'll need to practice independently.
Licensing Board
Colorado Department of Education (CDE): Special Services Provider License, School Psychology
(303) 866-6628
Colorado runs school psychology through two separate credentials, and knowing which one you need saves a lot of confusion. The one almost everybody gets is the Special Services Provider (SSP) license endorsed in School Psychology, issued by the Colorado Department of Education. It authorizes you to work in Colorado public K-12 schools doing psycho-educational assessment, counseling, crisis response, and intervention design. To earn it you complete a CDE-approved specialist program of at least 60 graduate semester hours (or an approved doctoral program), finish a supervised practicum and a 1,200-hour internship with at least 600 hours in a school, and pass the Praxis School Psychologist exam (#5403, passing 155). Holding the NASP Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential is an accepted alternate route to the license.
The second credential, the Licensed Psychologist, comes from the State Board of Psychologist Examiners inside the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and lets you practice privately outside the school system. You cannot go straight from a specialist program into private practice. The Licensed Psychologist credential is built on a doctoral degree plus supervised postdoctoral experience and a passing score on the national EPPP exam. Most school psychologists never pursue it. You only go that route if you want a private assessment or therapy practice, which is why the doctoral programs at UNC, DU, and CU Denver matter for that path.
One more thing worth knowing: Colorado has fully enacted the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists. As more states stand up their compact rules, that should make it easier to carry a Colorado credential across state lines without starting the paperwork over from scratch.
Special Services Provider License, School Psychologist endorsement
Practice as a school psychologist in Colorado public K-12 schools, pre-K, and early childhood settings: assessment, counseling, crisis intervention, and intervention design
Hours
1,200
Duration
typically a 3-year program
Exam: Praxis School Psychologist exam (#5403, passing 155), or an active NASP NCSP credential as an alternate route
Licensed Psychologist (private practice, DORA)
Independent practice of psychology outside public schools: assessment, therapy, and consultation
Hours
N/A
Duration
Associate
Exam: Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the Colorado jurisprudence exam, through the State Board of Psychologist Examiners
Colorado does not hand out fully automatic reciprocity, but it has two things going for out-of-state applicants. First, the CDE accepts an active NCSP national certification as a route to the Special Services license, which smooths the review because it signals your program met NASP standards. Second, Colorado has fully enacted the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, so once member states finish their rules, moving a credential in or out of Colorado should get simpler. If you trained out of state, you apply to the CDE and the agency reviews your preparation against Colorado standards. Expect to document your graduate coursework and your 1,200-hour internship, and budget time for the paperwork before your first Colorado school year starts.
School Psychologist Salary in Colorado
BLS state median wages by counseling specialty, with national comparison and top-paying metros.
Colorado is one of the highest-paying states in the country for school psychologists. The BLS May 2025 data puts the Colorado median at $124,770, against a national median of $95,990. That is a 30% premium. The range is strong at both ends: the bottom 10% of Colorado school psychologists still earn about $88,090, and the top 10% reach $161,570. That high floor is unusual. In most fields the entry rung is shaky, but Colorado school psychologists start high because pay follows the certificated salary schedule, the same step-and-column scale that pays teachers, set by district contracts rather than by what the market will bear. You can see the statewide numbers on the Colorado OEWS page.
One honest caveat. These are big numbers, but they are tied to Colorado's cost of living and to a roughly 10-month, school-year calendar, and they do not stretch as far in Boulder or Denver as they would in cheaper parts of the state. Boulder leads Colorado at a $143,020 median, with the Denver metro right behind it, which also happens to be where most of the jobs and the cost of living are. The state employs about 1,380 school psychologists in all, and a real shortage keeps demand, and pay, high. If you are choosing a program by where you want to live, the salary map matters as much as the headline number.
School Psychologists (BLS 19-3034)
National median: $95,990
Top metro: $143,020 (Boulder, CO)
Colorado School Psychology Job Market and Shortage
Major employers, mental health shortage context, and loan repayment programs that erase debt for service.
There are not enough school psychologists in Colorado, and that is good news for your job prospects. NASP recommends one school psychologist for every 500 students. The actual national ratio is closer to 1,071 to 1, and Colorado sits inside that gap. You can watch the numbers yourself on the NASP state shortages dashboard. The shortage is sharpest in rural districts, which is exactly why the University of Denver built a Rural Hybrid EdS aimed at students who live in and plan to stay in rural Colorado communities.
Demand is driven by work that schools are legally required to do. Every special education eligibility decision rests on a psycho-educational assessment, and Colorado's push to expand school-based mental health since the pandemic has only added to the caseload. School psychologists work for public school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), and a growing number of charter schools, with the densest concentration of jobs in the Denver metro and along the Front Range. The Colorado Department of Education tracks school psychology services statewide. The University of Northern Colorado reports a 100% employment rate for its graduates over the past 20 years, a reflection of how hard districts compete for new school psychologists.
Loan Repayment & Scholarship Programs
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). School psychologists employed full-time by a public school district or BOCES qualify for federal PSLF, which forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying payments. Eligibility is based on your employer, not your job title.
Rural Hybrid grant funding. The University of Denver's Rural Hybrid EdS covers up to 70% of tuition through federal and state grants for qualifying students who commit to serving a rural Colorado community, which is the cheapest form of loan relief there is: not borrowing in the first place.
Paid internships. DU places EdS students in paid internships, with Denver-area interns earning roughly $25,000 to $40,000 during the internship year, so part of your training comes with a paycheck rather than more debt.
Doctoral funding. The doctoral programs at the University of Denver fund 100% of admitted students through scholarships or assistantship tuition waivers, and UNC offers funding for its PhD students, which keeps total borrowing low for the doctoral path.
How to Choose the Best School Psychology Program in Colorado
Decision factors that actually matter, not generic checklist filler.
Colorado only has three NASP-approved institutions, so the real decision is about degree level, location, and format. Here is how the programs sort out.
If you want the fastest, most affordable path to the license: the University of Northern Colorado EdS is the established specialist program, requires no GRE, and reports a 100% employment rate over the past 20 years.
If you want the Denver job market: the University of Denver EdS and the CU Denver PsyD both sit in the metro area, where the largest concentration of school psychology jobs is.
If you live in rural Colorado and cannot relocate: the University of Denver Rural Hybrid EdS runs coursework virtually during the school year, covers up to 70% of tuition through grants, and places you in a rural district.
If you want a doctorate and a faster route to private practice: the University of Northern Colorado PhD is the only APA-accredited school psychology doctoral program in the state, and the University of Denver PhD funds 100% of admitted students.
If you want bilingual or specialized training: the CU Denver PsyD offers an optional Spanish-English bilingual concentration and a Neurosequential Model in Education credential, and it leads to both the CDE license and the DORA Licensed Psychologist credential.
If money is the deciding factor: the public UNC programs and the grant-funded Rural Hybrid track keep borrowing lowest, while DU's private tuition is offset by full doctoral funding and paid EdS internships.
Related Pages
School Psychologist Career Guide
What school psychologists actually do day to day
School Psychologist Salary
Salary data by state, experience, and setting
School Psychology Programs by State
Browse school psychology programs in every state
School Psychology Programs in Arizona
NASP-approved school psychology programs in Arizona
School Psychology Programs in New Mexico
NASP-approved school psychology programs in New Mexico
Sources
- NASP: Program Approval & Accreditation List (Colorado)
- Colorado Department of Education: Special Services License Requirements
- Colorado Department of Education: School Psychology Services
- Colorado DORA: State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Psychology)
- NASP: Colorado School Psychology Credentialing Resources
- NASP: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) Eligibility
- NASP: State Shortages Data Dashboard
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS Colorado, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: School Psychologists (19-3034)