Palo Alto University

Palo Alto University (PAU) is an independent nonprofit institution focused on psychology, counseling, social work, and behavioral health. It serves both students completing bachelor’s degrees and graduate students preparing for clinical practice, research, or counselor education. The central choice is the training format: some programs are residential and selective, while others teach online with required in-person residencies or clinical placements. Compare the requirements of the particular degree and intended state of practice before applying.

Programs and formats

PAU’s undergraduate B.S. programs in Psychology and Business Psychology are degree-completion options for students bringing prior college credit; the university says eligible transfers may apply up to 135 units, and full-time completion can take one to two years. Graduate options include the M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.S. in Psychology, Master of Social Work (MSW), Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, and the PAU–Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. The counseling M.A. offers online and hybrid cohorts; the MSW uses live online classes and in-person immersion sessions and requires students to remain in California. The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. is a full-time, five-year program with research, supervised clinical practica, and a full-time internship. The Psy.D. consortium focuses on direct clinical service and is offered with Stanford’s psychiatry department; contact Admissions to confirm current availability and training locations. PAU also runs CONCEPT continuing and professional studies.

Costs vary substantially by program. PAU’s published 2026–27 figures list tuition and fees of $60,240 per year for the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. in years one through three and $71,274 per year for the Psy.D. consortium in years one through three. The counseling M.A. is listed at $67,757 for its 94.5-unit plan, the MSW at $63,096 for 88 units, the M.S. in Psychology at $39,816 for 36 units, and the two bachelor’s completion degrees at $51,360 for 96 units. These are program tuition-and-fee estimates, not full living costs; clinical, dissertation, internship, residency, transfer-credit, or pace-related charges can change a student’s total. Check PAU’s current program cost table and ask for a term-by-term estimate for your curriculum.

Licensure, accreditation, and practical training

PAU is institutionally accredited by WSCUC, which lists Palo Alto as its active main campus and Mountain View as an active additional location. Its Clinical Psychology Ph.D. is accredited by the American Psychological Association. The university’s counseling, social work, and psychology programs have different professional standards and outcomes; confirm the exact program accreditation and licensing alignment for the state where you plan to work. In particular, PAU states that its MSW program is designed for California’s public behavioral-health system and requires students to be located in California for the program. The university also operates supervised community clinics in Mountain View, including La Clínica Latina, a clinic serving LGBTQ+ clients, and an e-clinic for California residents. Those clinics provide training opportunities as well as services; they are not a promise of placement for every student.

Tuition help and scholarships

PAU reports that more than 70% of students receive some form of financial aid. Depending on degree level and eligibility, aid may include institutional scholarships, federal or state grants, loans, and work-study. U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens generally begin with the FAFSA; international students use PAU’s institutional financial-evaluation process. Scholarship consideration depends on admission, program recommendations, financial need, and funding available. PAU’s aid office advises applicants to file early and to verify the priority deadline for their start term, since the timing differs by program. Awards are limited; do not assume that a scholarship will cover the full cost. Contact Financial Aid for a written award breakdown that separates grants and scholarships from loans, and include rent, travel to required residencies, and unpaid clinical hours in your budget. The financial-aid office offers one-to-one advising.

Locations and visiting

• Allen Calvin main campus: 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304; (800) 818-6136.
• Mountain View Campus and The Clinics @ PAU: 1172 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94040. PAU identifies this as home to its community clinic, classrooms, faculty offices, and student-success team.
• Stanford Psychiatry Building: 401 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304. PAU lists this address among its campus locations for consortium-related instruction.
• Stanford School of Medicine Building: 1070 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, also listed by PAU as a program location.

PAU’s campus directory lists the Allen Calvin and Mountain View sites, and it separately lists the two Stanford locations. Your classes and clinical training depend on your program and year, so confirm the address before arranging housing or travel. Google Maps lists the Allen Calvin campus as open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; these are listing hours rather than a guarantee that every office or clinic is open during that time. The Financial Aid team publishes weekday service hours of 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific. Main contact: (800) 818-6136; Admissions: admissions@paloaltou.edu; Financial Aid: financialaid@paloaltou.edu. Use the university’s application and inquiry page to request information, choose a degree, and begin the program-specific application.

What students say about the experience

Public comments are mixed and often program-specific. Some students and graduates praise supportive instructors, small classes, research and clinical resources, and the way professors make difficult material practical. Others—especially commenters discussing the counseling master’s—describe concerns about tuition burden, advising, communication, practicum support, or the handling of student concerns. These are individual accounts, not a measured outcome for every cohort, but they point to questions worth asking directly: who secures and supervises clinical placements, how state licensing requirements are checked, what happens if a placement falls through, and which fees or travel costs are outside the published tuition estimate. Read graduate student perspectives and recent campus comments alongside the program handbook and a conversation with a current student.