Best Online Master’s in Psychology Programs of 2025

You don’t need to quit your job to earn an online master’s in psychology degree. Going to college while balancing family and work life is never easy. However, online learning makes it possible with flexible courses, asynchronous assignments, and internship options in your community.

With a master’s in psychology, you can advance careers in clinical counseling or academia — and make more money. Learn about potential college costs and career options with an online master’s in psychology degree in this guide.

Before enrolling in an online master’s in psychology program, you should confirm that the institution offering the program is accredited. Institutional accreditation legitimizes your academic credits and is a requirement for federal financial aid eligibility.

At the programmatic level, the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) accredits master’s in psychology programs. Programs that emphasize counseling or marriage and family therapy could also hold accreditation with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).

Though programmatic accreditation isn’t typically required for master’s in psychology programs, it can signal to employers that your education met field-specific standards.

For the 2019-2020 academic year, the average cost of an online master’s in psychology was $28,173, whereas a campus-based program had an average cost of $32,119, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

In addition to delivery format, other factors that can influence the annual cost of your degree include:

Your total program cost will vary depending on how long your program is. Most master’s in psychology programs take one to three years to complete. If you transfer in credits from a different program, then that can shorten your program and thus reduce overall costs.

Scholarships for psychology students can also help offset college expenses and don’t need to be repaid. Other forms of aid that can lower your out-of-pocket costs include grants, fellowships, and assistantships. You can learn about financial aid opportunities by visiting your school’s financial aid office.

Depending on your chosen concentration, an online master’s in psychology could prepare you for applied psychology roles, counseling licensure, or doctoral studies in a subfield of psychology.

Industrial-organizational psychology studies the psychology of behavior within organizations. This concentration can prepare you to work as a consultant or in HR, training and development, labor relations, or other areas of applied psychology.

School psychology focuses on improving student mental health outcomes, at the personal level or by addressing the overall school climate. After you earn an online master’s in psychology with a concentration in school psychology, you can become a school counselor or earn an Ed.S. to become a school psychologist.

Forensic psychology addresses the psychological aspects of the legal system and how psychology affects law and law practice. While only forensic psychologists are licensed to diagnose patients, an online psychology master’s degree with a specialization in forensic psychology could prepare you to work in the justice or legal system.

Addictions psychology studies the nature of addiction, how to prevent it, and how to help people recover. You can become a substance use disorder counselor with an on-campus or online master’s in psychology, or earn a doctorate to become an addiction psychologist.

Clinical mental health psychology emphasizes the diagnosis and treatment of mental health. Many graduates of master’s in psychology online programs who focus on clinical mental health go on to earn a doctorate. However, you can also apply to become a licensed professional counselor in most states with a master’s degree, supervised experience, and passing score on the clinical licensing examination.

If you wish to become a licensed psychologist, you’ll need a doctorate. An online master’s in psychology program can, however, prepare you for other in-demand careers in counseling, applied psychology, and human services. If you are interested in becoming a counselor or therapist, check your state’s licensing requirements to make sure your program aligns with them.

Explore the salary potential and demand of common roles for psychology graduates below.

Will an online master’s in psychology be a worthwhile pursuit? Only you can answer that question. What degree or program you choose depends on your learning style, work and life schedule, your timeline, your career goals, and your budget.