Admissions
Founded in 1975 as the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto University (PAU) is a non-profit, regionally accredited institution that offers a high-quality, tailored, competitive education with world-renowned faculty at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

Campus Locations
Palo Alto University
Allen Calvin Campus
1791 Arastradero Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Mountain View Campus
1172 Castro Street, Mountain View
Home of the Gronowski Center
Stanford Department of Medicine
BS Business Psychology | BS Psychology and Social Action | MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | MS in Psychology | PhD in Clinical Psychology | PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium | |
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Palo Alto (Allen Calvin Campus) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
Mtn. View - Gronowski Clinic | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
Stanford University School of Medicine | ✔ | |||||
Online | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
Hybrid Online Evening | ✔ |
Undergraduate Degree
Program Information |
Entry Requirements |
Admission Criteria |
Program Length |
Locations |
Tuition and Fees per Unit: 22-23 |
Estimated Total Program Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
84 quarter units of transferable coursework from a regionally accredited university or community college. |
Undergraduate Admissions |
2 Years |
On-Campus or Online |
$505 |
$46,460 for 92 units |
|
BS in Business Psychology | 84 quarter units of transferable coursework from a regionally accredited university or community college. | Undergraduate Admissions | 2 Years | Online | $505 | $46,460 for 92 units |
Master's Degree Programs
Program |
Required Degree |
Admission Criteria |
Program Length |
Locations |
Tuition and Fees per Unit: 23-23 |
Estimated Total Program Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bachelor's Degree |
MA Admissions |
9 quarters |
Mt. View Campus and Online |
$623 |
$57,939 for 93 units |
|
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Online | Bachelor's Degree | MA Admissions | 9 quarters or 11 quarters | Online with two on-campus, 1-week residencies | $623 | $57,939 for 93 units |
Bachelor's Degree |
MS Admissions |
7 quarters |
Online and a 1-week, on-campus residency |
$951 |
$44,697 for 47 units |
|
MS in Psychology - Generalist | Bachelor's Degree | MS Admissions | 6 quarters | Online | $951 | $35,663 for 37.5 units |
MS in Psychology - Forensic | Bachelor's Degree | MS Admissions | 6 quarters | Online | $951 | $35,663 for 37.5 units |
MS in Psychology - Technology and Mental Health | Bachelor's Degree | MS Admissions | 6 quarters | Online | $951 | $37,089 for 39 units |
Doctoral Programs
Program |
Required Degree |
Average Program Length |
Locations |
Tuition and Fees per quarter: 22-23 |
Estimated Total Program Cost |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bachelor's Degree | PhD Admissions |
5 years |
Palo Alto, Mt View | $18,128 | $220,522 | |
PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium | Bachelor's Degree | PsyD Admissions | 5 years
Includes culmination of both degrees, pre-doctoral internship and dissertation; does not include clinical licensure. |
Palo Alto, Mt. View, and Stanford | $19,947 | $239,970 |
Additional costs per year include books and supplies, computer and headset, possible travel or student membership dues, transportation, health insurance, and local living expenses for residential students. These expenses vary for residential versus online and graduate versus undergraduate. The financial aid office assists in outlining these expenses. PAU offers several funding options from federal, state, and local sources.
At PAU, students experience the following:
- Faculty with rich, research-based backgrounds, and excellent teaching methods.
- Clinical training with licensure options.
- High internship placement rate including:
- 99% APA-accredited match rate for 2020-21 for the PhD program
- 100% APA-accredited internship match rate for the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium program (in 2013 and 2014; see APA Data)
- 98% practicum placement rate for the MA Counseling Program.
- PAU's tuition stabilization policy ensures that tuition is predictable over the course of a student's academic program.
- Regional accreditation by the WASC Senior Colleges and Universities Commission (WSCUC) for all degrees.
- American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation for the PhD and PsyD programs
Office of Financial AId
Palo Alto University’s Office of Financial Aid offers a variety of financial resources designed to help you with education-related expenses involved in obtaining your educational goal(s). Our financial assistance programs consist of grants, scholarships, loans, and work assistance.
Contact our Financial Aid Counselors Today