MFT Program Tuition in California

Total cost for every BBS-approved Marriage and Family Therapy program · 71 programs · Updated June 2026

California recognizes a wide range of Marriage and Family Therapy master's degrees for LMFT licensure, and their total cost varies enormously, from roughly $18,000 at the public California State University campuses to more than $150,000 at the most expensive private programs. This page lists all 71 BBS-approved programs by total cost, most affordable first, grouped into price tiers, so you can see what an entire MFT degree actually costs before you apply. Every program here is drawn from a complete directory of all 71 California MFT programs, with no ads, affiliate links, or paid placements.

The figures below estimate full-program tuition, not the per-year or per-course price. A figure shown with a tilde (~) is an approximate estimate used where a school does not publish a single program-wide total, which is the case for most public California State University campuses; every other figure is the school's own published total. Public California State University programs are by far the most affordable, usually around $18,000 to $22,000 for California residents, because state funding subsidizes tuition. Private and nonprofit programs set their own tuition and run from the high $30,000s into six figures. The most expensive options on this list, including the University of Southern California at about $152,000, along with Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, and the University of San Diego near or above $100,000, cost roughly eight times the least expensive CSU option for the very same license.

A higher price does not guarantee better clinical training, and a lower price does not mean a weaker program, so weigh tuition against timeline, practicum support, and how much real skill practice the program builds in. Some programs that cost more still leave you to find your own practicum site, which can add months of unpaid effort to your timeline.

Tuition is only part of the real cost. Budget for campus residencies and travel in hybrid programs, books, BBS application and exam fees, and the months of largely unpaid supervised hours after graduation. Many programs offer scholarships, assistantships, or federal financial aid that lower the true price, so check each program's aid options before comparing sticker numbers. Always confirm a program's current tuition directly with the school, because published figures change from year to year. One program, Golden Gate University, does not publish a single program-wide tuition figure, so it appears at the end marked Not listed.

Editorial disclosure: Sentio University operates one of the programs included in this directory. Every school is evaluated using the same published criteria. Schools cannot pay for inclusion, favorable placement, or removal.

Want to compare on more than price? See the complete California MFT Program Directory comparing all 71 BBS-approved programs side by side.

Statewide tuition analysis

$19,200Lowest exact figure (CSU East Bay)
$50,600Median total cost, 70 priced programs
$60,000Median of the 51 with an exact published total
$152,340Highest (USC)

Across the 70 programs that publish a price, the median total cost of a California MFT degree is about $50,600, and the average is about $51,500. The spread is wide. The middle half of programs fall roughly between $18,300 and $69,200, from $19,200 at the least expensive public campus (CSU East Bay, with the other public California State University campuses estimated near $18,000 to $22,000 for residents) up to $152,340 at the University of Southern California. The all-programs median is held down by the low-cost public campuses. Among the 51 programs that publish an exact total, the median rises to $60,000 and the average to about $62,500.

Most programs cost far less than the highest-priced private options. Of the 70 priced programs, 20 start under $30,000, 35 under $50,000, 56 under $75,000, and 67 under $100,000. Only three start at $100,000 or more, the University of San Diego, Loyola Marymount, and USC, so the most expensive programs are the exception rather than the rule.

Cost also tracks delivery format. The seven fully online programs have a median near $41,100, below the 34 on-campus programs at about $47,300. Hybrid programs and those offering multiple formats tend to run higher, partly because several of the most expensive private schools offer more than one option.

Distribution of total program cost

Number of California MFT programs in each cost band, by each program's starting total cost. Based on the 70 programs that publish a price.

Under $20k19
$20k to $40k6
$40k to $60k18
$60k to $80k15
$80k to $100k9
$100k to $120k2
$120k to $140k0
$140k and up1

Figures use each program's lowest published total cost and count programs that list only a range at the lower figure. The public CSU campuses are shown at their estimated resident cost. Golden Gate University is excluded because it does not publish a program-wide figure. Tuition changes from year to year, so confirm the current figure with each school.

Programs listed: 71 · Sorted by total cost, lowest first · Updated June 2026 · Source: California BBS approved-program list

Most affordable: starting under $40,000 (25 programs)

CSU Chico

Selective small-cohort public in Northern California.

Total Cost
~$18,000-$22,000
Timeline
3+ years
Program Format
On-Campus
GRE
Not disclosed
Practicum
Both in-house and student-sourced

Read the CSU Chico program review

Mid-range: starting $40,000 to $70,000 (28 programs)

Higher cost: starting $70,000 to $100,000 (14 programs)

Most expensive: starting at $100,000 and up (3 programs)

Tuition not published (1 program)

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MFT degree cost in California?

Total cost ranges from about $18,000 to $22,000 at the public California State University campuses, for California residents, up to roughly $152,000 at the most expensive private program. Most private and nonprofit programs fall between about $40,000 and $90,000. These are full-program tuition estimates, so always confirm the current figure directly with the school, because tuition changes from year to year.

What are the most affordable MFT programs in California?

The public California State University programs are the least expensive, usually around $18,000 to $22,000 for California residents. Examples include San Diego State University, Sonoma State University, and the many CSU campuses. A few lower-cost private and online options also exist, such as Rhombus University at about $25,000, Daybreak University at about $36,100, and Touro University Worldwide at about $37,800. Many of these low-cost programs also skip the GRE (see no-GRE programs) and welcome career changers from any major.

Why do MFT program costs vary so much in California?

The biggest driver is public versus private funding. State support keeps CSU tuition low for residents, while private and nonprofit schools set their own per-unit or per-year tuition. Program length, residency requirements, and location add further differences. The license you earn is the same LMFT credential regardless of what you paid for the degree.

Is financial aid or scholarship support available for MFT programs?

Yes. Many California MFT programs offer scholarships, graduate assistantships, or federal financial aid through FAFSA at schools that participate in federal aid, all of which can lower the real cost well below the published tuition. Aid varies widely by program, so check each school's options directly.

What costs are there beyond tuition?

Plan for more than the sticker tuition. Hybrid programs add travel and lodging for in-person residencies, and every program adds books, BBS application and exam fees, and the months of largely unpaid supervised clinical hours you complete after graduation on the path to licensure. Factor these into the true cost when you compare programs.

What is the cheapest MFT program in California?

Among the programs that publish an exact total, the lowest in this directory is CSU East Bay at about $19,200. The other public California State University campuses are comparable but mostly do not publish a single program-wide figure, so they are shown as an approximate estimate of roughly $18,000 to $22,000 for California residents, and their exact totals may fall a little above or below East Bay's. Either way, the public CSU programs are the most affordable, because state funding subsidizes resident tuition. Confirm the current figure with the school, since tuition changes from year to year.

How this directory is built and maintained

Source of the school list. Every program on the California Board of Behavioral Sciences approved-program list for the LMFT educational requirement is included, with no exceptions or omissions.

Date the BBS list was last checked. June 2026. We re-check the list on a recurring schedule and after any major BBS announcement.

How tuition is calculated. Total cost is the published per-unit tuition multiplied by the unit count required for the BBS-eligible MFT degree, plus any program-specific required fees disclosed on the school's own website. Public California State University tuition is shown as a range that reflects in-state per-unit charges across recent years. A range written "$X to $Y" indicates a program with multiple tracks at different totals, and a "~" prefix marks a published estimate rather than a quoted price.

How unknown values are handled. Where a school does not publish a value, the field shows "unknown" or "Not listed." We do not impute, estimate, or interpolate missing values, and we do not drop a school because data is missing. Golden Gate University, which publishes no single program-wide tuition figure, appears at the end marked Not listed.

Whether program pages were checked manually. Yes. Each program's own admissions, curriculum, and tuition pages were read by a person, not collected by automated scraping.

How corrections are handled. Any school, prospective student, current student, or faculty member can request a correction by emailing mabundez@sentio.org. We respond within five business days, and corrections supported by the school's own published materials are made immediately.

Order does not imply endorsement. On this page programs are grouped into price tiers and sorted by total cost, lowest first. The order reflects price only, not quality, and requesting a correction or contacting us for any reason has no effect on whether or where a program appears.

Independence. Sentio University is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and operates its own MFT program, which is listed in this directory on the same terms as every other program. The directory contains no paid placements, no affiliate links, no sponsored entries, and no advertising of any kind.

Last verified: June 2026
Maintained by: Mikaela Abundez, Director of Student Services, Sentio University. Contact: mabundez@sentio.org

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About the Authors

Tony Rousmaniere, PsyD is the President of Sentio University and Executive Director of the Sentio Counseling Center. He is Past President of the psychotherapy division of the American Psychological Association and the author of over 20 books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training, including The Essentials of Deliberate Practice book series (APA Books). He is a licensed psychologist in California and Washington. Learn more

Alexandre Vaz, PhD is the Chief Academic Officer of Sentio University and cofounder of the Deliberate Practice Institute. He is co-editor of The Essentials of Deliberate Practice book series (APA Books) and the author of over a dozen books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training. Dr. Vaz is the founder and host of Psychotherapy Expert Talks. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Portugal. Learn more