Best Online Psychology Programs in Washington, DC (2026)

Washington, District of Columbia has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs, with tuition ranging from $18,382 to $80,727 per year for indexed programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning psychology-related role is School Psychologist at a median $106,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Psychology Schools to Washington

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer psychology programs near Washington. Distances are calculated from Washington city center.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Washington. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

George Washington University

Washington, DC 0.7 miles from Washington BOC Score76.5
Published tuition$64,990 - $80,727
Online programsYes

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#2

The Chicago School at Washington DC

Washington, DC 1.0 miles from Washington
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

Howard University

Washington, DC 1.2 miles from Washington BOC Score60.8
Published tuition$33,344 - $51,450
Online programsYes

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#4

Gallaudet University

Washington, DC 1.3 miles from Washington BOC Score49.2
Published tuition$18,382 - $39,416
Online programsYes

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#5

Trinity Washington University

Washington, DC 1.7 miles from Washington BOC Score51.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all District of Columbia schools on the District of Columbia psychology page.


Psychology Wages Near Washington

Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$101,670Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$93,361
Industrial-Organizational PsychologistN/ADC statewide
School Psychologist$106,550Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$97,842
Educational and Career Counselor$77,420Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$71,093
Marriage and Family Therapist$95,460Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$87,658
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor$65,270Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$59,936
Healthcare Social Worker$80,710Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$74,114
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$78,210Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$71,818

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Washington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population672,079Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$106,287Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+63.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Psychology-related employment in District of Columbia County23,093 workers, 3,975 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Washington-Area Cities With Psychology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near Washington, DC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Washington. The closest is George Washington University in Washington, DC (0.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Trinity Washington University (1.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles near Washington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Washington are: School Psychologist ($106,550), Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($101,670), Marriage and Family Therapist ($95,460). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?

Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington and has its own set of local psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Washington an affordable place to study psychology?

Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in Washington

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Washington:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.