Best Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs in Illinois, Ranked (2026)
Top APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs (PhD and PsyD) in Illinois for 2026, with cohort sizes, the 3,500 supervised hours (1,750 pre-doctoral + 1,750 post-doctoral), EPPP (no Illinois jurisprudence exam), and Illinois's PSYPACT membership since July 2020.
Key Takeaways
- Illinois has roughly 20 APA-accredited doctoral psychology programs, the deepest Midwest landscape and the country's most concentrated cluster of freestanding professional schools alongside California. Major Chicago anchors include UIC Clinical PhD (since 1974), Northwestern Feinberg Clinical PhD (medical center model with 4/cohort), Loyola Chicago Clinical PhD (since 1959), DePaul Clinical PhD (since 1976), IIT Clinical PhD (since 1982), The Chicago School (TCSPP, since 1987), Adler University PsyD (since 1998), Roosevelt PsyD (since 2002), and Rosalind Franklin Clinical PhD (10-year through 2034). UIUC, NIU, SIUC, ISU, and Wheaton round out the downstate and suburban R1 options.
- Illinois licenses psychologists through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP), under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act (225 ILCS 15). Illinois uses "clinical psychologist" as the generic license title and does NOT separately license counseling, school, or health service psychologists at the doctoral level.
- Required supervised experience is 3,500 hours total: 1,750 pre-doctoral internship hours plus 1,750 post-doctoral hours. Post-doctoral hours must be completed within 24 months and must not be completed in less than 50 weeks regardless of weekly intensity. Post-doctoral supervision requires at least 1 hour of individual supervision per week from an Illinois LCP.
- No Illinois jurisprudence exam required. Illinois only requires the EPPP (passing score 500/800) plus standard application requirements. This is a meaningful difference from California, Texas, Florida, and other large states that add state-specific exams on top of the EPPP. Initial license fee is $50; biennial renewal fee is $60, among the lowest in the country.
- Illinois is a PSYPACT state. Illinois enacted PSYPACT through Public Act 100-1028 (HB 1853) on August 22, 2018, effective July 1, 2020. Illinois LCPs holding the E.Passport and APIT credential can practice telepsychology across all 40+ PSYPACT member states, and an IPC permits up to 30 days per calendar year of temporary in-person practice.
- The Illinois Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program (CBHC LRP), administered by ISAC and IDHS, awards doctoral-level psychologists $20,000 per year and up to $40,000 total for serving in rural or underserved HPSA settings (community mental health center, behavioral health clinic, SUD treatment center, or state-operated psychiatric hospital). 2026 cycles: January, March, and June; priority deadline May 31, 2026.
- Chicago anchors one of the largest psychology employment markets in the country, with Northwestern Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, UChicago Medicine, Advocate Aurora, Endeavor Health, Loyola Medicine, Cook County Health, Lurie Children's, plus the Jesse Brown VA and Edward Hines Jr. VA. The IDHS Division of Mental Health operates 9 state psychiatric hospitals across Illinois, all major LCP employers.
- Argosy/AIU Chicago closed March 8 to 9, 2019 after Dream Center Education Holdings entered federal receivership. About 800 displaced psychology graduate students transferred to TCSPP. National Louis University absorbed the Illinois School of Professional Psychology (ISPP) lineage and earned its own APA accreditation for the NLU PsyD effective May 5, 2021, valid through 2031.
Illinois has the deepest psychology training landscape in the Midwest and is one of the country's three major clusters of freestanding professional schools (alongside California and New York). Chicago alone concentrates The Chicago School (TCSPP, founded 1979), Adler University (founded 1952 as the Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago), Roosevelt University's PsyD program (since 2002), Rosalind Franklin University's PhD (10-year APA through 2034), and the National Louis University PsyD that absorbed the ISPP lineage from the 2019 Argosy closure. The R1 research universities (Northwestern, UIC, Loyola, DePaul, IIT, UIUC downstate) provide the funded PhD anchors, and the combined market makes Chicago one of the largest single-metro psychology training markets in the United States.
The IDFPR licensure pathway is structurally simpler than most peer states. Illinois licenses psychologists as Licensed Clinical Psychologists (LCPs) under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act (225 ILCS 15). All health-service psychologists (clinical, counseling, school at the doctoral level) practice under the LCP, with no separate state license for the various sub-areas. You need a doctorate from an APA-accredited or IDFPR-approved program, 3,500 supervised hours (1,750 pre-doc internship + 1,750 post-doc within 24 months), and the EPPP. There is NO Illinois jurisprudence exam, which makes Illinois one of the easier states to enter from out of state by exam profile. Fees are $50 for initial license and $60 for biennial renewal, among the lowest in the country.
The post-doctoral year is structured carefully. The 1,750 post-doc hours must be completed within 24 months, but they must NOT be completed in less than 50 weeks regardless of weekly intensity. Practicum hours from the doctoral program count toward the supervised experience requirement, but the first 400 practicum hours are excluded. Post-doc supervisors must be Illinois LCPs (or licensed psychologists actively practicing clinical psychology in good standing) providing at least 1 hour per week of individual supervision.
Illinois has been a PSYPACT state since July 1, 2020 (enacted August 22, 2018), making Illinois one of the earliest PSYPACT adopters in the country. Illinois LCPs holding an E.Passport and APIT (Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology) from the PSYPACT Commission can practice telepsychology with clients located in any of the 40+ PSYPACT member states. The Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC) adds the option of up to 30 days per calendar year of temporary in-person practice in other PSYPACT states. Combined with the low-friction Illinois licensure path, this makes Illinois one of the most attractive base licenses in the country for psychologists building multi-state telehealth practices.
APA-Accredited Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs in Illinois
All 12 programs ranked in this guide, with tuition, format, and accreditation at a glance.
| # | School | In-State Tuition | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) | Funded students receive 25 to 67% assistantship appointments including full tuition + LAS differential waiver (fees ~$921 per semester) | On-campus | |
| 2 | Northwestern University (Feinberg School of Medicine) | Full tuition remission + monthly stipend for 5 years (private) | On-campus | |
| 3 | Loyola University Chicago | Full tuition scholarship for 72 required Clinical PhD credits + ~$28,000 per year stipend (5 years) | On-campus | |
| 4 | DePaul University | Funded students receive full tuition waiver + academic-year stipend in exchange for 20 hrs/week RA/TA work (list ~$10,381 per year) | On-campus | |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) | Partial funding; first-year tuition waiver for ~6 credits via CPS Selective Enrollment assessment work | On-campus | |
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) | ~$17,420 per year (in-state) with funded students receiving tuition waiver + stipend via assistantships | On-campus | |
| 7 | The Chicago School (TCSPP) Chicago Campus | ~$44,000 to $55,000 per year (private; ~$1,419 per credit hour) | On-campus | |
| 8 | Adler University Chicago | Per-credit pricing; total program estimate ~$205,000 (verify with Adler tuition estimator) | On-campus | |
| 9 | Roosevelt University | ~$33,701 per year (private) | On-campus | |
| 10 | Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science | ~$45,000 per year (private) | On-campus | |
| 11 | National Louis University (Illinois School of Professional Psychology) | ~$41,832 per year (private) | On-campus | |
| 12 | Wheaton College (IL) | ~$34,350 per year average; every student receives $6,000 to $10,000 scholarship | On-campus |
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
In-State
Funded students receive 25 to 67% assistantship appointments including full tuition + LAS differential waiver (fees ~$921 per semester)
Out-of-State
Same with funding
Length
5 to 6 years
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum
Concentrations
- Continuously APA-accredited since 1974, the longest continuous APA accreditation of any IL Clinical PhD
- Department commits to fund all students with assistantships covering full tuition + LAS waiver
- GRE optional with explicitly no negative weight for omission (one of the most progressive admissions policies in IL)
- Cohort of 6 to 8 with mentor-based admissions
- Located at UIC West Campus near UI Health, Rush University Medical Center, and the Illinois Medical District
Northwestern University (Feinberg School of Medicine)
In-State
Full tuition remission + monthly stipend for 5 years (private)
Out-of-State
Same full funding
Length
5 years (20 quarters: 4 academic years + 4 summers + 5th year + summer for internship)
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum at Northwestern Memorial, Lurie Children's, and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Concentrations
- One of the few Clinical PhDs in the country housed in a medical center / psychiatry department
- Cohort of just 4 students per year, the smallest of any IL APA-accredited Clinical PhD
- 100% tuition remission + monthly stipend for 5 years via Research Assistant Scholarship
- Training sites: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Lurie Children's, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
- Streeterville (downtown Chicago) location with embedded access to the Northwestern Medicine network
Loyola University Chicago
In-State
Full tuition scholarship for 72 required Clinical PhD credits + ~$28,000 per year stipend (5 years)
Out-of-State
Same with funding
Length
5 to 6 years (Clinical PhD); 5 to 6 years for the 69-credit Counseling PhD
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus 2,000-hour pre-doctoral internship (Counseling PhD)
Concentrations
- Clinical Psychology PhD continuously APA-accredited since 1959, one of the longest in IL
- Three separate APA-accredited PhDs (Clinical, Counseling, School) under one university
- Clinical PhD: full tuition scholarship + ~$28,000 stipend for 5 years
- Counseling Psychology PhD requires 2,000-hour APA-accredited internship
- Rogers Park and downtown Chicago locations with placements across Loyola Medicine, Lurie Children's, and CPS schools
DePaul University
In-State
Funded students receive full tuition waiver + academic-year stipend in exchange for 20 hrs/week RA/TA work (list ~$10,381 per year)
Out-of-State
Same with funding
Length
5 to 6 years (MA earned en route, non-terminal)
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum
Concentrations
- Continuously APA-accredited since 1976
- GRE explicitly prohibited: program does not allow GRE submission, one of the most progressive admissions policies in the country
- Two track structure: Child (admitting Fall 2026) and Community (next admitting Fall 2027)
- Roughly 400+ applicants per year for 3 admits per track
- Lincoln Park Chicago location with placements across CPS, community mental health, and Lurie Children's
Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech)
In-State
Partial funding; first-year tuition waiver for ~6 credits via CPS Selective Enrollment assessment work
Out-of-State
Same partial funding
Length
5 to 6 years
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum
Concentrations
- APA-accredited since 1982 with CBT-grounded Boulder scientist-practitioner training
- Rehabilitation Psychology specialization track, distinctive within IL
- Cohort of 5 to 10 from 20 to 30 offers extended
- First-year tuition waiver for ~6 credits via Chicago Public Schools selective enrollment assessment work
- Located in Bronzeville with placements across the Illinois Medical District and CPS
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
In-State
~$17,420 per year (in-state) with funded students receiving tuition waiver + stipend via assistantships
Out-of-State
~$32,440 per year (out-of-state)
Length
5 to 6 years (Clinical-Community); 5 years (Counseling)
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum
Concentrations
- Clinical-Community PhD is APA-accredited AND PCSAS-accredited AND a CUDCP member, the only such triple credential in IL
- Counseling Psychology PhD APA-accredited since 1985
- Member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science
- All funded students receive tuition waiver + stipend via assistantships
- Downstate location keeps cost of living dramatically lower than Chicago options
The Chicago School (TCSPP) Chicago Campus
In-State
~$44,000 to $55,000 per year (private; ~$1,419 per credit hour)
Out-of-State
~$44,000 to $55,000 per year
Length
5 to 6 years
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum; 96% internship match
Concentrations
- First APA-accredited 1987, the original freestanding professional school PsyD in Illinois
- Cohort of roughly 170 admits per year across the program (admits ~24% of 700 applicants in 2024)
- 96% internship match rate
- Two APA-accredited tracks: Clinical PsyD and School Psychology PsyD
- River North flagship campus opened 2004 with strong placement access across the Chicago metro
Adler University Chicago
In-State
Per-credit pricing; total program estimate ~$205,000 (verify with Adler tuition estimator)
Out-of-State
Same per-credit pricing
Length
5 to 6 years (114 credit hours)
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum; 94% APA-accredited match (5-year average)
Concentrations
- The country's only PsyD with a programmatic social justice focus
- APA-accredited since 1998 with recent maximum APA reaccreditation
- Seven concentrations including Military Clinical Psychology and Primary Care Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
- 94% APA-accredited internship match; 97% overall match (5-year average)
- Cohort of ~16 with lock-step cohort model
Roosevelt University
In-State
~$33,701 per year (private)
Out-of-State
~$33,701 per year
Length
5 to 6 years (full-time, in-person)
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum
Concentrations
- APA-accredited since 2002
- Cohort of 25 students per year
- 95% licensure rate (149 graduates from 2014 to 2024)
- Loop location in the historic Auditorium Building with strong placement access across downtown Chicago hospitals and community mental health
- Among the more affordable Chicago PsyD options at $33,701 per year
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
In-State
~$45,000 per year (private)
Out-of-State
~$45,000 per year
Length
5 to 6 years (MA in Psychology earned en route)
Field Hours
~2,000 hours by internship plus practicum starting Year 2
Concentrations
- Recently reaccredited for the maximum 10-year term through 2034
- Three Clinical PhD tracks: Neuropsychology, Health Psychology, Psychopathology
- Embedded in a medical sciences university with deep interdisciplinary training opportunities
- ~2,000 hours of practicum accumulated by internship year
- Located on the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center campus, a major training site
National Louis University (Illinois School of Professional Psychology)
In-State
~$41,832 per year (private)
Out-of-State
~$41,832 per year
Length
5 to 6 years
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum
Concentrations
- 10-year APA accreditation effective May 5, 2021; next site visit 2031
- Inherited the Illinois School of Professional Psychology lineage after the 2019 Argosy closure
- Four concentrations including Client-Centered/Experiential Psychotherapies and Trauma Psychology
- Downtown Chicago location with placements across community mental health and the broader Chicago metro
- Distinctive humanistic-experiential training within the Chicago PsyD landscape
Wheaton College (IL)
In-State
~$34,350 per year average; every student receives $6,000 to $10,000 scholarship
Out-of-State
~$34,350 per year average
Length
5 years (cohort, full-time, residential)
Field Hours
1,750+ on the APA-accredited internship plus practicum
Concentrations
- APA-accredited since 1998, the first class admitted 1993
- 120 total credits with 38 credits in the first year (a more front-loaded curriculum than peers)
- Every student receives $6,000 to $10,000 scholarship; net tuition lower than headline rate
- Biblically grounded training, welcoming to students of any faith background
- Western suburb Wheaton campus with placements across DuPage County and the broader Chicago metro
Illinois Licensed Clinical Psychologist Requirements
The licensing board, exam pathway, and supervised hours you'll need to practice independently.
Licensing Board
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation
(217) 785-0800
Illinois regulates psychologists through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act (225 ILCS 15) and Title 68 Part 1400 of the Illinois Administrative Code. The state issues a single license, the Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP), that covers all health-service psychology practice areas (clinical, counseling, school at the doctoral level) without separate sub-area licenses.
The education requirement is a doctorate from an APA-accredited or IDFPR board-approved program. Supervised experience totals 3,500 hours: 1,750 pre-doctoral internship hours (defined as a year of experience earned in not less than 50 weeks at at least 35 hours per week) plus 1,750 post-doctoral hours completed within 24 months. Post-doc supervisors must be Illinois LCPs (or licensed psychologists actively practicing clinical psychology in good standing) providing at least 1 hour of individual supervision per week. Practicum hours from the doctoral program count toward supervised experience, but the first 400 practicum hours are excluded.
The exam requirement is the EPPP only (passing score 500/800). Illinois does NOT require a state-specific jurisprudence exam, which makes Illinois one of the easier large states to enter from out of state by exam profile.
Fees are unusually low: $50 initial license application fee, $60 biennial renewal fee, $160 inactive license restoration fee. Continuing education is 24 hours per biennial renewal period including 3 hours cultural competence/diversity and 3 hours ethics or legal standards. CE is not required for the first renewal.
Supervised pre-doctoral practicum and internship (no separate IL credential required)
Supervised practice during the doctoral program under faculty and site supervision; not a separate IDFPR credential
Hours
N/A
Duration
Associate
Exam: Not applicable
Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP)
Independent practice, mental health diagnosis and treatment, psychological testing and assessment, supervision of trainees, expert testimony, telepsychology under PSYPACT for IL LCPs holding APIT
Hours
3,500
Duration
1,750 pre-doctoral internship hours (50+ weeks at 35+ hrs/week) + 1,750 post-doctoral hours within 24 months (not less than 50 weeks)
Exam: EPPP only (passing score 500/800); no IL jurisprudence exam
Illinois does not offer automatic reciprocity but allows licensure by endorsement for out-of-state licensed psychologists who hold a current valid license in another state, earned through requirements substantially equivalent to Illinois. Out-of-state applicants must still submit transcripts, supervised experience verification, EPPP score, licensure verification from all current state licenses, and pay the $50 initial license fee.
Illinois is a PSYPACT member state. Illinois enacted PSYPACT through Public Act 100-1028 (HB 1853) on August 22, 2018, effective July 1, 2020. Illinois LCPs holding an E.Passport and APIT (Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology) from the PSYPACT Commission can practice telepsychology with clients in any of the 40+ PSYPACT member states. Illinois HSPs holding an IPC (Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate) may provide up to 30 days per calendar year of temporary in-person practice in other PSYPACT states. Combined with the low licensure fees and no IL jurisprudence exam, this makes Illinois one of the most attractive base licenses for psychologists building multi-state telehealth practices.
Clinical Psychologist Salary in Illinois
BLS state median wages by counseling specialty, with national comparison and top-paying metros.
Illinois pays psychologist wages roughly at national median in nominal terms, with the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin MSA running above national median due to academic medical center density and Fortune 500 demand for consulting and I-O psychology. The BLS May 2024 Illinois OEWS estimates place Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033) at the national median of approximately $96,100, with the Chicago metro pushing toward $102,580 (verify against current BLS tables). School Psychologists (SOC 19-3034) align with the national median of $86,930 at the state level, with Chicago Public Schools and suburban district schedules pushing higher for senior steps.
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033)
National median: $96,100
Top metro: ~$102,580 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin)
School Psychologists (SOC 19-3034)
National median: $86,930
Top metro: Senior district steps reach ~$95,000+ (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin)
Psychologists, All Other (SOC 19-3039)
National median: National mean ~$120,000
Top metro: Top consulting and I-O roles in Chicago top $150,000+ (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin)
Illinois Clinical Psychology Job Market and Top Employers
Major employers, mental health shortage context, and loan repayment programs that erase debt for service.
Illinois has one of the deepest psychology employment markets in the Midwest, with Chicago anchoring the bulk of the workforce. Major employers fall into five buckets.
Academic medical centers (Chicago metro): Northwestern Medicine (894-bed AMC, Feinberg School of Medicine), Rush University Medical Center, UChicago Medicine (University of Chicago Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience), Loyola Medicine, and Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (APA-accredited internship since 1963).
Health systems: Endeavor Health (formerly NorthShore University HealthSystem, Illinois' 3rd-largest serving 4.1M residents across 7 northeast Illinois counties), Advocate Health Care / Advocate Aurora, Cook County Health (the public hospital system including John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Provident Hospital, Cermak Health Services, and Juvenile Temporary Detention Center).
VA system: Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago (APA-accredited clinical psychology internship + post-doctoral fellowship), Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital (APA-accredited internship since 1976, post-doctoral fellowship APA-accredited since 2012), and Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago (a major Rosalind Franklin University training site).
State psychiatric system (IDHS Division of Mental Health): 9 state hospitals across Illinois including Chicago-Read Mental Health Center, Madden Mental Health Center, Elgin Mental Health Center (adult forensic + civil), Andrew McFarland Mental Health Center (Springfield), Treatment and Detention Facility, Alton Mental Health Center, Choate Mental Health and Development Center, and Chester Mental Health Center (maximum-security forensic).
Schools and corrections: Chicago Public Schools (the largest school-psychologist employer in IL), Illinois Department of Corrections (mental health professionals across state correctional facilities), and suburban Chicago school districts.
Loan Repayment & Scholarship Programs
Illinois Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program (CBHC LRP): Administered by ISAC in partnership with IDHS. Doctoral-level psychologists are explicitly eligible. $20,000 per year, up to $40,000 total; awards may continue up to 4 years. Service commitment: at least 12 consecutive months as behavioral health professional in a rural or underserved HPSA setting (community mental health center, behavioral health clinic, SUD treatment center, or state-operated psychiatric hospital). 2026 awarding cycles: January 2026, March 2026, June 2026; priority deadline May 31, 2026.
NHSC Loan Repayment Program: Federal program. Licensed psychologists (Health Service Psychologists) eligible. Up to $55,000 for 2 years full-time at an NHSC-approved site in a Mental Health HPSA; up to $30,000 for half-time. Additional $5,000 enhancement for Spanish-language proficiency.
Illinois Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program (HSPLRP): Administered by ISAC for human services professionals at eligible state-funded agencies. Psychologists may qualify depending on employer.
Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): Illinois LCPs employed at qualifying nonprofit/government employers (VA medical centers, IDHS state psychiatric hospitals, IDOC, CPS, public universities, 501(c)(3) hospitals/clinics) qualify for PSLF after 120 qualifying payments under an income-driven repayment plan.
Note on IDPH SLRP: The Illinois Department of Public Health State Loan Repayment Program does NOT include psychologists in its eligible disciplines (physicians, NPs, PAs, CNMs, dentists, and psychiatrists only). IDPH SLRP is also currently experiencing a federal funding gap; verify current status before applying.
How to Choose a Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program in Illinois
Decision factors that actually matter, not generic checklist filler.
Choosing an Illinois doctoral psychology program comes down to funding, training model (clinical-science PhD vs scientist-practitioner PhD vs practitioner-scholar PsyD), and geography (Chicago metro vs downstate). Illinois is one of only three states (with California and New York) where you can credibly target any of these models with multiple options. Here is how to actually narrow it down.
If you want a fully funded PhD: UIC (department-wide funding commitment with assistantships covering full tuition + LAS waiver), Northwestern Feinberg (100% tuition remission + monthly stipend for 5 years, but only 4 admits per year), Loyola Chicago Clinical (full tuition scholarship + ~$28,000 stipend), DePaul (full tuition waiver + stipend for funded students), UIUC (in-state tuition with assistantship support for funded students). The funded R1 path is the most affordable but requires strong research alignment.
If you want a PsyD: TCSPP Chicago (the original freestanding PsyD in IL, first APA-accredited 1987, cohort of ~170 admits/year), Adler University (Country's only PsyD with programmatic social justice focus, 7 concentrations including Military Clinical and Primary Care), Roosevelt (95% licensure rate, $33,701 per year, cohort of 25), Wheaton (residential cohort, faith-integrated, $6,000 to $10,000 scholarship for all students), National Louis (humanistic-experiential training, ISPP lineage), Rosalind Franklin (PhD not PsyD but medical-science integrated). PsyDs run $33,000 to $55,000 per year.
If you want both APA AND PCSAS accreditation: UIUC's Clinical-Community PhD is APA-accredited AND PCSAS-accredited AND a CUDCP member, the only such triple credential in IL. Member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science.
If you want a medical center training model: Northwestern Feinberg is one of the few Clinical PhDs in the country housed in a medical center / psychiatry department, with training at Northwestern Memorial, Lurie Children's, and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Rush University Medical Center, UChicago Medicine, and the various VA training sites also offer medical-center integrated training during internship and post-doc.
If you want school psychology at the doctoral level: Loyola Chicago School PhD (APA + NASP-approved), TCSPP School Psychology PsyD (APA + NASP-accredited), NIU School PhD, ISU School PhD, Rosalind Franklin School PhD. CPS is the largest school psychologist employer in IL.
If you want forensic psychology: Adler (Military Clinical Psychology and Substance Abuse Treatment concentrations), TCSPP, and the IDHS state forensic hospitals (Elgin, Chester) all offer strong forensic training pathways.
If you want maximum PSYPACT leverage: Illinois has been a PSYPACT state since July 2020, one of the earliest adopters. Combined with no IL jurisprudence exam, low licensure fees ($50 + $60), and the Chicago metro's deep training market, Illinois is one of the most attractive base licenses in the country for psychologists building multi-state telehealth practices.
If cost is the deciding factor: UIUC downstate (in-state graduate tuition ~$17,420) and funded R1 PhDs are the most affordable paths. Wheaton offers $6,000 to $10,000 scholarship for every student, lowering net PsyD tuition below the headline rate. Roosevelt at $33,701 per year is the most affordable Chicago PsyD.
Caveats worth knowing before applying: Argosy/AIU Chicago closed March 8 to 9, 2019 (~800 students displaced). The University of Chicago does NOT operate an APA-accredited Clinical or Counseling doctoral program; its PhD programs are research-only in Cognition, Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental, Integrative Neuroscience, and Social Psychology. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) does NOT offer an APA-accredited PsyD. Verify any newer program's APA accreditation status directly with the APA Commission on Accreditation before enrolling.
Related Pages
Counseling Programs in Illinois
CACREP-accredited counseling programs and the Illinois LCPC license, a master's alternative to the 7-year psychology doctorate
MSW Programs in Illinois
CSWE-accredited social work programs and Illinois LCSW licensure
ABA Programs in Illinois
BACB-verified course sequences and Illinois BCBA practice for students considering applied behavior analysis
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs by State
Browse APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs (PhD and PsyD) in every state
Sources
- APA Commission on Accreditation, Accredited Programs Directory
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Clinical Psychology
- Illinois Administrative Code Title 68, Part 1400
- IL Public Act 100-1028 (PSYPACT)
- PSYPACT, Compact Map
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS Illinois Estimates
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Psychologists
- Illinois Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program (ISAC)
- IDHS, Community Behavioral Health Care LRP
- NHSC Loan Repayment Program
- VA Chicago Psychology Training