Some applicants to doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology may consider national rankings when deciding where to apply for graduate school. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the  methodology used by national ranking systems. For example, the approach used by the U.S. News and World Report relies on rankings of programs by the chairs of psychology departments and directors of clinical training (click here for their methodology). 

Given concerns with the Methodology of national rankings of Clinical Psychology Programs, the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) passed a resolution in 1995 encouraging programs not to participate in the survey:

“Be it resolved that CUDCP encourages its member programs to refuse to complete the U.S. News & World Report reputational survey for 2001; that CUDCP requests that the U.S. News & World Report magazine develop mechanisms to provide more information for decision-making of prospective applicants for clinical psychology training; and that CUDCP offers its assistance to U.S. News & World Report in developing these mechanisms and accessing necessary information.”