Best Online Psychology Programs in Lakeland, FL (2026)

Lakeland, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs, with tuition ranging from $28,360 to $41,727 per year for indexed programs. Lakeland has a population of about 117,030. Median household income is $60,947 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area, the top-earning psychology-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $87,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Psychology Schools to Lakeland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer psychology programs near Lakeland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lakeland city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Lakeland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, FL 1.9 miles from Lakeland BOC Score 55.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,294
Avg net price $28,551/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 2.8 miles from Lakeland BOC Score 32.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Psychology Wages Near Lakeland

Lakeland is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area (BLS area code 29460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$87,740Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$90,360
Industrial-Organizational PsychologistN/AFL statewide
School Psychologist$59,330Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$61,102
Educational and Career Counselor$58,320Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$60,062
Marriage and Family Therapist$56,400FL statewide$58,084
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor$56,580Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$58,270
Healthcare Social Worker$69,810Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$71,895
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$55,190Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$56,838

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.


Lakeland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population117,030Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,947Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Psychology-related employment in Polk County7,028 workers, 1,018 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lakeland-Area Cities With Psychology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near Lakeland, FL?

Accredited schools offering psychology programs near Lakeland are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles near Lakeland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Lakeland are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($87,740), Healthcare Social Worker ($69,810), School Psychologist ($59,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Plant City instead of Lakeland?

Plant City, FL is 10.5 miles from Lakeland 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 Lakeland an affordable place to study psychology?

Lakeland’s median household income of $60,947 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakeland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Lakeland

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.