What The Wright Institute does

The Wright Institute is a private, non-profit graduate school founded in 1968 and based in Berkeley, California, that educates clinical psychologists and licensed counselors. It operates two degree programs — a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology and a Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling Psychology — preparing graduates for licensure as psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC). The institution serves approximately 517 students (Spring 2022 reporting) through two campus locations (2728 Durant Avenue for the PsyD program; 1000 Dwight Way for the MA program) and supports instruction with six clinical training clinics (CBT Clinic, WI Clinic, Assessment Clinic, Older Adult Clinic, Recovery Clinic, College Wellness Program) plus a library of 1,400+ journals, 8,000+ books, and a 584-video therapy/counseling database.

The business model is tuition-driven subscription recurring revenue: the PsyD program charges $45,600 per year for years 1–3, $19,500 per year for the dissertation/internship phase, and $5,950 per year for internship-only enrollment; the MA program charges $1,310 per credit unit for 60 total credits ($78,600 total). Pricing is partially offset by need-based institutional scholarships ($250–$3,800 per year) and substantially subsidized through federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans ($20,500/year MA; $50,000/year PsyD), federal work-study, and Veterans benefits. The institution has no equity investors, no parent company, and is governed by a Board of Trustees.

Distribution is regional (California) and direct-to-student, employing event-driven and digital GTM channels: graduate school fairs at San Francisco State, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, CSU East Bay, St. Mary's College, NC A&T, the Idealist Grad School Fair, and the California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education; on-campus open houses; virtual tours; and an online application pipeline. Operational differentiation rests on a 50+ year mission of culturally responsive, DEI-focused clinical training supported by WASC accreditation, ~60+ faculty, and a deep practicum-site network of community mental health agencies across California.

Name

The Wright Institute

Legal name

The Wright Institute

Website

https://wi.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Wright Institute is a private non-profit graduate school in Berkeley, California, founded in 1968, offering a PsyD in Clinical Psychology and an MA in Counseling Psychology to roughly 517 students, preparing graduates for licensure as psychologists, MFTs, or LPCCs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition - MA Program: Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program charges $1,310 per credit unit. Total program cost is $78,600 for 60 credit units, payable per semester based on enrollment.
2. Tuition - PsyD Program: Doctor of Psychology program charges $45,600 per year for years 1-3, with reduced tuition of $19,500 per year for dissertation/internship phase, and internship-only registration fee of $5,950 per year.
3. Wright Institute Scholarship: Need-based scholarships ranging from $250 to $3,800 per academic year, awarded through institutional funds to eligible students.
4. Federal Financial Aid: Federal student loans including Direct Unsubsidized Loans ($20,500/year for MA, $50,000/year for PsyD), federal work-study programs, and Veterans benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Wright Institute is a private, nonprofit graduate school that trains licensed mental health clinicians through two degree programs: a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology and a Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling Psychology. Both programs combine on-campus coursework with supervised clinical training at partner practicum sites and in-house specialty clinics (CBT Clinic, WI Clinic, Assessment Clinic, Older Adult Clinic, Recovery Clinic, College Wellness Program), preparing graduates for licensure as psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC).

Product overview

The Wright Institute is an educational institution offering two primary graduate programs: a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. The institution operates multiple clinical training clinics (CBT Clinic, WI Clinic, Assessment Clinic, Older Adult Clinic, Recovery Clinic, College Wellness Program) where students gain supervised clinical experience. Supporting these programs is a library with access to over 1,400 journals, 8,000 books, and video databases. The institution also administers federal financial aid programs including CARES Act emergency grants. No commercial product or software offerings are provided.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Psychology (PsyD) Program A doctoral program in Clinical Psychology preparing students for licensure as clinical psychologists. The program includes coursework, clinical training at partner practicum sites and in-house clinics, and a dissertation requirement. Multi-year phased tuition ($45,600/year years 1-3; $19,500/year reduced tuition; $5,950/year internship-only).
• Counseling Psychology (MA) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates become licensed therapists and psychologists working in community mental health, schools, hospitals, and private practice settings
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Student ClearinghouseminorOthersAuthorized agent for enrollment and degree verification services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Palo Alto University: Private, nonprofit California graduate school offering PsyD and PhD programs in Clinical Psychology plus master's programs in counseling. Directly comparable in size, regional footprint, and APA-accredited practitioner-scholar mission.
• Alliant International University: Private, nonprofit California-based university operating the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) with PsyD, PhD, and master's programs in clinical and counseling psychology. Directly comparable on program mix, California focus, and nonprofit tuition-driven model.
• William James College: Private, nonprofit graduate school in Massachusetts specializing in PsyD and master's clinical psychology programs with an explicit emphasis on culturally responsive, community-based training. Highly analogous mission, scale, and program structure to Wright's.
• The Chicago School of Professional Psychology: Private, nonprofit institution offering PsyD and master's degrees in clinical, counseling, and forensic psychology at multiple campuses (including Los Angeles and online). Closely comparable practitioner-focused program model and tuition structure.
• Saybrook University: Private, nonprofit humanistic graduate university offering PhD, PsyD, and master's programs in clinical psychology and counseling with a humanistic/social-justice orientation similar to Wright's mission. Comparable in scale and mission.
• Fielding Graduate University: Private, nonprofit graduate school offering APA-accredited PhD and PsyD programs in clinical psychology with primarily online/distance delivery. Comparable practitioner-focused program mix, although competes via a different delivery model.

Emerging players

• Antioch University Seattle: Private, nonprofit university system with a Seattle-based PsyD in Clinical Psychology and master's programs in counseling. Comparable in private-nonprofit structure and mission-driven training, but operates on a different coast.

Regional players

• University of San Francisco School of Education: Private, Jesuit nonprofit university in San Francisco offering master's programs in counseling and related clinical training with a social-justice orientation. Comparable regional Bay Area tuition-driven competitor for prospective MFT/LPCC students.

Broad incumbents

• Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology: Private nonprofit university offering PsyD, master's, and PhD programs in clinical and counseling psychology across multiple California campuses. Larger, broader institution but overlaps with Wright's California applicant pool and licensure-track programs.
• Nova Southeastern University College of Psychology: Private, nonprofit university offering APA-accredited PsyD and PhD programs in clinical psychology plus master's degrees in counseling, including online and on-site modalities. Larger scale but directly comparable on program mix and tuition-driven nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/wrightinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/84293666321
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thewrightinstitute-
• Xx.com/wrightinstitute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Wright Institute