APA State of Membership

Overview

APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with a community of more than 190,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as its members, plus over 2,000 APA Psychology Supporters. 

APA has built the largest psychology membership community ever assembled globally and is actively developing the most expansive and intentional pathway to membership in its history. This pathway is anchored by more than 64,000 students, with many progressing toward doctoral degrees, creating a strong, measurable pathway for future Full Members over the next decade. Far from representing a ceiling, this foundation positions APA for sustained, long-term growth. 

Full membership remains stable and above the 10-year average, closely mirroring the national population of doctoral psychologists. This stability reflects a strategic success—demonstrating APA’s continued ability to recruit, retain and engage its core demographic even as the overall production of doctoral degrees plateaus. 

Through early professional engagement, mentorship, advocacy relevance, and clearly defined student-to-postdoctoral pathways, APA is well positioned to convert this growing pipeline into predictable, long-term membership growth while maintaining standards and financial sustainability. 

Building a Diverse Global Community

Membership continues to move towards a more diverse population. International membership has seen remarkable growth, increasing by 233% from 2021 to 2025. Membership is younger, as the median age of members continues to decline.