Best School Psychology Programs in New York Rankings for 2026
NASP-approved MS, CAS, and Advanced Certificate specialist programs in New York, with the NYSED certification pathway, the private-practice psychologist license, internship requirements, tuition, and school psychologist salary data for 2026.
Key Takeaways
- New York school psychologists earn a median of $106,550, about 11% more than the $95,990 national median (BLS, May 2025). The state employs 9,070 school psychologists, one of the highest totals in the country, so jobs are plentiful even if the cost of living downstate is steep.
- You get certified to work in New York public schools through the New York State Education Department (NYSED). New York issues a Provisional certificate first, then a Permanent certificate after a master's degree and two years of school experience. To see clients in private practice you need a separate psychologist license from the NYS Office of the Professions.
- New York uses a distinctive degree structure. Most programs award an MS or MA plus a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) or Advanced Certificate, not a single EdS. You will see this at NASP-approved programs like SUNY Albany, University at Buffalo, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Alfred, and Niagara.
- Most New York programs are three-year, 60-plus-credit specialist sequences built around a 1,200-hour internship (at least 600 hours in a school) plus a year of practicum, and most require you to pass the Praxis School Psychologist exam (5403). The public SUNY and CUNY programs cost far less than the private options.
- There is a documented shortage of school psychologists in New York and nationally. NASP recommends one school psychologist per 500 students, but the national ratio sits near 1,065 to 1. That keeps demand high, and several upstate programs report graduates landing jobs quickly.
New York is one of the biggest school psychology markets in the country and one of the better paid. The state employs 9,070 school psychologists, among the highest totals of any state, and pays a median of $106,550 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. That is about 11% above the national median of $95,990. Most school psychologists in New York work on a certificated salary schedule, the same step-and-column scale districts use for teachers, so your pay climbs with experience and graduate credits on a predictable timeline.
Here is the part that trips people up. New York runs school psychology through two separate credentials, issued by two different agencies. To work in public K-12 schools, where the large majority of school psychologists are employed, you need certification as a School Psychologist from the New York State Education Department (NYSED), earned through the Office of Teaching Initiatives. New York issues a Provisional certificate first, then a Permanent certificate once you hold a master's degree and have two years of school experience. If you want to open a private practice and see families outside an exempt school setting, that is a different credential entirely, a psychologist license from the NYS Office of the Professions, which generally requires a doctorate. Most school psychologists never need the license. They work inside schools, which the state treats as an exempt setting.
The other thing to know about New York is its degree structure. Instead of a single EdS, most New York programs award an MS or MA paired with a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) or an Advanced Certificate, which together add up to the 60-plus graduate credits New York requires. The SUNY and CUNY public campuses host a big share of the NASP-approved programs, and they cost far less than the private options. Below you will find the NASP-approved programs across New York, what NYSED certification actually requires, real salary numbers, and how to pick the program that fits where you want to work.
Best School Psychology Programs in New York Rankings (NASP-Approved MS, CAS & Advanced Certificate)
All 12 programs ranked in this guide, with tuition, format, and accreditation at a glance.
| # | School | In-State Tuition | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University at Albany (SUNY): CAS in School Psychology | SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program) | On-campus | |
| 2 | University at Buffalo (SUNY): MA / Advanced Certificate in School Psychology | SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program) | On-campus | |
| 3 | St. John's University: PsyD in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | Hybrid | |
| 4 | Fordham University: Advanced Certificate in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 5 | Brooklyn College (CUNY): MSEd + Advanced Certificate in School Psychology | CUNY resident graduate tuition (low public rate; see program) | On-campus | |
| 6 | Queens College (CUNY): MSEd in School Psychology | CUNY resident graduate tuition (low public rate; see program) | On-campus | |
| 7 | Alfred University: School Psychology MA / CAS | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 8 | SUNY Plattsburgh: School Psychology MA / CAS | SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program) | On-campus | |
| 9 | SUNY Oswego: School Psychology MS / CAS | SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program) | On-campus | |
| 10 | Marist University: MA in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 11 | Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT): MS + Advanced Certificate in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 12 | Niagara University: MS + CAS in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus |
University at Albany (SUNY): CAS in School Psychology
In-State
SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Out-of-State
SUNY nonresident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Length
3 years (73-credit CAS with an embedded 30-credit MS)
Field Hours
1,200-hour internship (roughly 10 months full-time in a school)
Concentrations
- The 73-credit CAS includes an embedded 30-credit MS in educational psychology, which New York requires for the Permanent certificate
- Built on a practitioner-scholar model centered on evidence-based practice and multi-tiered systems of support
- Registered with NYSED, so the program meets New York's educational requirements for certification
- Albany also runs a separate PsyD in School Psychology if you want the doctoral and private-practice route
University at Buffalo (SUNY): MA / Advanced Certificate in School Psychology
In-State
SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Out-of-State
SUNY nonresident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Length
3 years (MA plus Advanced Certificate awarded together)
Field Hours
1,200-clock-hour internship + supervised practicum
Concentrations
- Grants the MA and the Advanced Certificate together, meeting both NY Provisional certification and NCSP requirements at graduation
- Meets all NCSP requirements: coursework, a 1,200-clock-hour internship, and a passing Praxis School Psychologist score
- Coursework is organized around five practice areas, from data-based decision-making to consultation and collaboration
- A public-university option for Western New York students who want to stay in the Buffalo region
St. John's University: PsyD in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
5+ years (doctoral)
Field Hours
Multi-year practica + a full predoctoral internship
Concentrations
- APA-accredited doctoral program, accredited through 2029, with NASP recognition on top
- Offers a dedicated bilingual track that trains practitioners to serve English language learners and diverse families
- Sits in Queens, one of the most diverse areas in the country, for hands-on multicultural training
- The doctorate opens the door to the NYS psychologist license and private practice, which a master's does not
Fordham University: Advanced Certificate in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years (66+ graduate credits, roughly 2 years of coursework plus a year of internship)
Field Hours
Year-long supervised internship + practica
Concentrations
- Fully NASP-approved, so graduates who pass the national exam are eligible for the NCSP credential
- Requires a minimum of 66 graduate credits including a year of supervised internship
- Offers a bilingual school psychology Advanced Certificate for students who want to serve multilingual communities
- Two campus options, Lincoln Center in Manhattan and the Westchester campus, cover both the city and the suburbs
Brooklyn College (CUNY): MSEd + Advanced Certificate in School Psychology
In-State
CUNY resident graduate tuition (low public rate; see program)
Out-of-State
CUNY nonresident graduate tuition (see program)
Length
60 credits total (33-credit MSEd + 27-credit Advanced Certificate)
Field Hours
Supervised internship + extensive field experiences
Concentrations
- Holds full NASP approval and is registered with NYSED
- Structured as a 33-credit MSEd followed by a 27-credit Advanced Certificate, 60 credits in all
- Graduates are eligible for New York certification and the NCSP national credential
- CUNY public tuition makes this one of the most affordable paths to certification in New York City
Queens College (CUNY): MSEd in School Psychology
In-State
CUNY resident graduate tuition (low public rate; see program)
Out-of-State
CUNY nonresident graduate tuition (see program)
Length
3 years full-time (61-credit specialist program); 4 years part-time
Field Hours
One-year full-time internship + supervised practicum
Concentrations
- A 61-credit specialist program approved by NYSED and NASP, leading to a Provisional certificate and an MSEd
- Recognized by NASP for its multicultural and bilingual school psychology training
- Offers a part-time option: three years of part-time study plus a full-time internship year
- A separate Advanced Certificate track exists for students who already hold a related master's degree
Alfred University: School Psychology MA / CAS
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years (63-credit MA + 18-credit CAS internship)
Field Hours
Full-time, supervised, year-long school internship (18 credits)
Concentrations
- Fully accredited by NASP and the New York State Education Department
- The MA is awarded after 63 credits; the CAS is awarded after the 18-credit year-long internship
- Interns are paid a stipend by their host school district, which can offset tuition for the internship year
- Practica are built into most core courses, so you are working in schools from early in the program
SUNY Plattsburgh: School Psychology MA / CAS
In-State
SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Out-of-State
SUNY nonresident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Length
3 years (MA/CAS)
Field Hours
600+ hours of school-based practicum + 1,200-hour internship
Concentrations
- Holds full NASP accreditation through 2028, so its national standing is locked in
- You start in a school placement in your very first semester and log 600-plus practicum hours before the internship
- Students take the Praxis School Psychologist exam before the third-year internship, a NASP requirement for the NCSP
- A public SUNY option in the North Country, a region where districts work hard to recruit
SUNY Oswego: School Psychology MS / CAS
In-State
SUNY resident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Out-of-State
SUNY nonresident graduate tuition (per-credit; see program)
Length
3 years (66-credit MS/CAS)
Field Hours
Supervised practicum + a one-year full-time internship
Concentrations
- A 66-credit MS/CAS approved by NASP and registered with NYSED
- Three-year sequence: two years of coursework, then a full-time year-long internship
- Coursework spans psychological and educational foundations, exceptionality, assessment, and intervention
- A public option in Central New York for students who want to train and work upstate
Marist University: MA in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
62 graduate credit hours (with at least 47 credits before internship)
Field Hours
Internship and practicum through district partnerships
Concentrations
- NASP-accredited program in the Hudson Valley, registered with NYSED
- Evening classes from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, built for students who work during the day
- Requires 62 graduate credits, with at least 47 completed before the internship year
- Internships run through long-standing relationships with local school districts
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT): MS + Advanced Certificate in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years (66 semester credits)
Field Hours
Supervised field placement + internship
Concentrations
- A 66-credit, three-year program approved by NASP and NYSED
- Culminates in an MS, an Advanced Certificate, and New York Provisional certification together
- Also offers a standalone Advanced Certificate for practitioners seeking further professional development
- A Western New York option for students who want to train in the Rochester area
Niagara University: MS + CAS in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years (63-credit MS + CAS)
Field Hours
400-hour practicum + 1,200-hour internship
Concentrations
- A 63-credit NASP-approved MS plus CAS, with graduates eligible for the NCSP credential
- Built on a scientist-practitioner model grounded in the university's Vincentian, service-focused tradition
- Requires a 400-hour practicum and a full 1,200-hour internship across diverse P-12 settings
- A private option near Niagara Falls, feeding Western New York districts
New York School Psychologist Certification Requirements (NYSED and the Psychologist License)
The licensing board, exam pathway, and supervised hours you'll need to practice independently.
Licensing Board
New York State Education Department (NYSED): Office of Teaching Initiatives
(518) 474-3901
New York runs school psychology through two separate credentials, and knowing which one you need saves a lot of confusion. The one almost everybody gets is certification as a School Psychologist from the New York State Education Department (NYSED), issued through the Office of Teaching Initiatives. It authorizes you to work in New York public and nonpublic K-12 schools doing psycho-educational assessment, counseling, crisis response, and intervention design. New York issues this in two stages. First you earn the Provisional certificate, which per NASP requires a bachelor's degree, 60 graduate credits in psychology, and a one-year school psychology internship with at least 600 hours in a school setting. Then you upgrade to the Permanent certificate by completing a master's degree and two years of full-time school experience. Once you hold the Permanent certificate, New York does not require continuing education to keep it.
The second credential, a psychologist license from the NYS Office of the Professions, comes into play only if you want to practice outside an exempt school setting. Under Article 153, schools, government settings, and most colleges count as exempt, so a certified school psychologist can do the full scope of the work inside them. The moment you want to open a private practice and see families on your own, New York requires the psychologist license, which generally means a doctorate plus supervised experience and the national licensing exam. Most school psychologists never go this route. That is why the doctoral programs at St. John's and SUNY Albany matter: the PsyD opens the private-practice door that a master's does not.
Either way, plan to take the Praxis School Psychologist exam (5403). New York uses it for certification, several programs require a passing score before your internship year, and it also earns you the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential, which makes it easier to move your career to another state later.
New York School Psychologist, Provisional Certificate (NYSED)
Practice as a school psychologist in New York public and nonpublic K-12 schools: assessment, counseling, crisis intervention, and intervention design
Hours
1,200
Duration
typically a 3-year program
Exam: One-year school psychology internship (min. 600 hours in a school) + a passing score on the Praxis School Psychologist exam (5403)
New York School Psychologist, Permanent Certificate (NYSED)
Ongoing practice as a school psychologist in New York schools, with no continuing-education renewal requirement
Hours
N/A
Duration
2 years of full-time school experience
Exam: Two years of full-time experience in a public or nonpublic school in the same title; no separate exam beyond the Provisional requirements
New York Licensed Psychologist (private practice, NYS Office of the Professions)
Independent practice of psychology outside an exempt school setting: assessment, counseling, and consultation in private practice
Hours
N/A
Duration
Associate
Exam: Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). Required only to practice privately outside exempt school settings
New York does not hand out automatic reciprocity. If you trained and worked as a school psychologist in another state, you apply to NYSED for New York certification, and the department reviews your out-of-state preparation against New York standards. Holding the NCSP national certification smooths that review, because it signals your program met NASP standards. Expect to document your graduate coursework and your 1,200-hour internship, and budget time for the paperwork through the TEACH online system before your first New York school year starts.
School Psychologist Salary in New York
BLS state median wages by counseling specialty, with national comparison and top-paying metros.
New York pays school psychologists well above the national median. The BLS May 2025 data puts the New York median at $106,550, against a national median of $95,990, a premium of about 11%. The range is wide: the bottom 10% of New York school psychologists earn about $67,160, and the top 10% clear $148,790. New York also employs 9,070 school psychologists, one of the highest totals in the country, so there is real volume of jobs behind that median. Most of these positions follow a certificated salary schedule, the same step-and-column scale districts use for teachers, so pay rises with experience and graduate credits rather than with whatever the market will bear.
One honest caveat. The highest pay is concentrated downstate, where the cost of living is highest. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro leads the state at a $117,540 median, but a salary that looks big in the five boroughs or the lower Hudson Valley does not stretch nearly as far as the same number would upstate. Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and the North Country pay less than the New York City metro on paper, but housing and everyday costs are far lower, so your take-home goes further. If you are choosing a program by where you want to live, weigh the salary map against the cost-of-living map, not just the headline number.
School Psychologists (BLS 19-3034)
National median: $95,990
Top metro: $117,540 (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ)
Clinical & Counseling Psychologists (private-practice comparison, BLS 19-3033)
National median: $100,580
Top metro: $104,940 (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ)
New York 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 New York, 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 1,065 to 1, and you can watch the gap state by state on the NASP state shortages dashboard. New York employs more school psychologists than almost any other state, but the demand keeps outrunning the supply, especially for bilingual practitioners who can serve the state's large multilingual student population.
Demand is driven by work that schools are legally required to do. Every special education eligibility decision rests on a psycho-educational assessment, and New York's push to expand school-based mental health since the pandemic has only added to the caseload. School psychologists work for public school districts, BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services), nonpublic schools, and a growing number of charter schools. Upstate and in rural districts, where recruiting is hardest, graduates often field multiple offers, and programs like SUNY Plattsburgh, Alfred, and Niagara feed those regions directly. The New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP) is a good place to track openings, advocacy, and continuing education across the state.
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, so a full-time W-2 role at a public school counts.
Low SUNY and CUNY tuition. The public SUNY campuses (Albany, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Oswego) and the CUNY campuses (Brooklyn College, Queens College) charge far less than the private options, which keeps total borrowing low to begin with. That is the cheapest form of loan relief there is.
Paid internships. Some New York programs, including Alfred University, place students in paid internship years where the host district pays a stipend, so part of your training comes with a paycheck rather than more debt.
District incentives. In hard-to-staff regions, upstate and rural districts sometimes offer hiring bonuses or relocation help for certified school psychologists, and bilingual candidates are especially sought after. These are negotiated locally, so ask the districts you are targeting what they currently offer.
How to Choose the Best School Psychology Program in New York
Decision factors that actually matter, not generic checklist filler.
Almost every NASP-approved New York program leads to the same NYSED certification, so the real decision is about location, schedule, degree level, and cost. Here is how the programs sort out.
If you want the cheapest path: the public CUNY programs at Brooklyn College and Queens College, and the SUNY programs at Albany, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, and Oswego, cost far less than the private universities. Brooklyn College runs 60 credits split between an MSEd and an Advanced Certificate.
If you need to keep working while you study: Marist University runs evening classes from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, and Queens College offers a part-time track with a full-time internship year at the end.
If you want the New York City job market: St. John's (Queens), Fordham (Lincoln Center and Westchester), Brooklyn College, and Queens College all sit inside or next to the five boroughs, the densest school psychology market in the state.
If you want bilingual training: St. John's offers a dedicated bilingual track, Fordham has a bilingual school psychology Advanced Certificate, and Queens College is NASP-recognized for multicultural and bilingual practice. Bilingual school psychologists are in especially short supply.
If you want a doctorate and a route to private practice: St. John's offers an APA-accredited PsyD, and SUNY Albany runs a PsyD alongside its CAS. A doctorate is what unlocks the NYS psychologist license for work outside schools.
If you want a paid internship year: Alfred University places interns in school districts that pay a stipend, which can offset the private-school tuition during your final year.
If you want to train and work upstate: University at Buffalo, RIT, and Niagara serve Western New York, SUNY Oswego serves Central New York, and SUNY Plattsburgh and Alfred feed the North Country and Southern Tier, regions where districts compete hard for graduates.
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 New Jersey
NASP-approved school psychology programs in neighboring New Jersey
School Psychology Programs in Pennsylvania
NASP-approved school psychology programs in neighboring Pennsylvania
Sources
- NASP: Program Approval & Accreditation List (New York)
- NASP: New York Credentialing Requirements
- NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives: Certificate Types
- NYS Office of the Professions: Psychology Licensure (Article 153)
- NASP: NCSP Eligibility
- ETS: Praxis School Psychologist Exam (5403)
- New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP)
- NASP: State Shortages Data Dashboard
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: School Psychologists (19-3034), May 2025