COAMFTE-Accredited MFT Programs in California

COAMFTE-accredited Marriage and Family Therapy programs · 10 programs · Updated June 2026

COAMFTE accreditation is not required to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. For California licensure, what matters is that your degree program is approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) and meets the coursework requirements of Business and Professions Code Section 4980.36. Ten of the 71 BBS-approved MFT programs in California also hold COAMFTE accreditation, and this page lists those ten. Every program here is drawn from a complete directory of all 71 California MFT programs, with no ads, affiliate links, or paid placements.

COAMFTE stands for the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, the national accrediting body for MFT degree programs, affiliated with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). It is programmatic accreditation specific to marriage and family therapy, which is different from the regional or national institutional accreditation a university carries, and different again from BBS approval. A program can be BBS-approved without being COAMFTE-accredited, and in California most are: 61 of the 71 BBS-approved programs do not hold COAMFTE accreditation.

So why seek out a COAMFTE-accredited program if California does not require it? Three reasons come up most often. License portability: some other states offer graduates of COAMFTE-accredited programs a more streamlined path to licensure if you relocate. Transparency: COAMFTE requires accredited programs to publish student achievement data, including graduation rates, licensure examination pass rates, and job placement, so you can compare outcomes directly. Recognition: some doctoral programs and employers treat COAMFTE accreditation as a known curriculum standard. If none of those apply to you and you intend to license and practice in California, a BBS-approved program that is not COAMFTE-accredited can be an equally valid route, often at lower cost.

Use the cards below to compare the ten COAMFTE-accredited programs on total cost, timeline, GRE requirement, program format, and practicum model. Accreditation status can change, so confirm a program's current COAMFTE accreditation directly with COAMFTE, and confirm its current BBS approval on the BBS website, before you apply.

Editorial disclosure: This directory is maintained by Sentio University, which operates its own California MFT program. Sentio is not COAMFTE-accredited, so it does not appear in this particular list. Every school is evaluated using the same published criteria. Schools cannot pay for inclusion, favorable placement, or removal.

Looking at every option, not just COAMFTE-accredited programs? See the complete California MFT Program Directory comparing all 71 BBS-approved programs side by side.

COAMFTE-accredited programs listed: 10 · Updated June 2026 · Source: COAMFTE Directory of Accredited Programs

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a COAMFTE-accredited degree to become an LMFT in California?

No. To qualify for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensure in California, your degree program must be approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) and meet the coursework requirements of Business and Professions Code Section 4980.36. COAMFTE accreditation is not required. Ten of the 71 BBS-approved MFT programs in California also hold COAMFTE accreditation, but the other 61 BBS-approved programs lead to the same license.

What is COAMFTE accreditation?

COAMFTE is the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, the national accrediting body for MFT degree programs. It is affiliated with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). COAMFTE is programmatic accreditation specific to marriage and family therapy, which is different from the institutional accreditation a university holds and different from California BBS approval.

How many MFT programs in California are COAMFTE-accredited?

Ten of the 71 BBS-approved MFT programs in California currently hold COAMFTE accreditation: Alliant International University, Chapman University, The Chicago School, CSU Northridge, Daybreak University, Hope International University, Loma Linda University, San Diego State University, Touro University Worldwide, and University of San Diego. Accreditation status can change, so confirm a program's current status directly with COAMFTE before applying. Several, including Touro University Worldwide, are also available fully online.

Why choose a COAMFTE-accredited MFT program?

The most common reasons are license portability, transparency, and recognition. Some other states offer graduates of COAMFTE-accredited programs a more streamlined path to licensure if you relocate. COAMFTE requires accredited programs to publish student achievement data, including graduation rates, licensure examination pass rates, and job placement, so you can compare outcomes. Some doctoral programs and employers also treat COAMFTE accreditation as a recognized curriculum standard. If you intend to license and practice in California, a BBS-approved program that is not COAMFTE-accredited can be an equally valid and often more affordable route.

Is COAMFTE accreditation the same as BBS approval?

No. BBS approval is California's authorization that a degree program meets the state educational requirements for LMFT licensure. COAMFTE accreditation is a national programmatic accreditation that is optional in California. A program can be BBS-approved without being COAMFTE-accredited, and most California programs are. Always confirm a program's current BBS approval on the BBS website and its COAMFTE status directly with COAMFTE before you apply.

How this directory is built and maintained

Source of the school list. This page lists the California MFT programs that hold accreditation from COAMFTE, the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, drawn from the COAMFTE Directory of Accredited Programs. All ten also appear on the California Board of Behavioral Sciences approved-program list for the LMFT educational requirement.

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

How values are determined. Total cost, timeline, GRE requirement, program format, and practicum model come from each program's own published materials. 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 disclosed." We do not impute, estimate, or interpolate missing values, and we do not drop a school because data is missing.

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 listed alphabetically. The order is not a ranking, and requesting a correction or contacting us for any reason has no effect on whether or where a program appears.

Independence. Sentio University, which maintains this directory, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates its own California MFT program. Sentio is not COAMFTE-accredited, so it is not one of the ten programs listed on this page. 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