Psychology is one of the largest undergraduate majors in the country. The country also has too few psychologists, and the shortage is worsening, with the deepest shortfalls in the communities that most need care. The National Survey of Psychology Majors asks where, along the path from that interest to that workforce, students exit.
Across two studies, we followed more than 2,000 psychology majors from universities across the country, from their undergraduate years through their applications, admissions, and enrollment in graduate school. Earlier work counted students at each stage. We followed the same students through every stage. Findings from the full study are currently under review for publication.
The shortage is national, and it is deepening. By 2037 the country is projected to meet only about half its need for psychologists. The figure understates the problem, because the model treats 2022 as if supply already met demand, when the shortage was real even then.
The shortage falls hardest where need is greatest. In the states with the most disadvantaged communities, only half the need for psychologists is met, against nearly nine in ten in the least-disadvantaged states.
This work builds on our research program on the training-to-workforce pipeline in psychology. An early study established that students’ progress toward graduate training is best understood through the concrete steps they take, not their intentions alone (Williams & Callahan, 2025). Our workforce studies document the shortage the pipeline must fill and its uneven geography (Cicero et al., 2025; Ruggero & Gum, 2025). Both appear in the special section I introduced (Callahan, 2025). The National Survey was built to connect the two: to find where, between a large pool of interested students and a workforce that cannot meet demand, students leave the path to the profession.
Findings from both waves of the study are under review. We will share them here once published. To learn more or partner with us, contact texasnabors@utdallas.edu.
This initiative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $3,420,070 to the North Texas Center of Excellence (COE); 0% was financed with non-governmental sources. The contents herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.