How Far Dr. Phil Really Got In School

Phil McGraw, aka Dr. Phil, is a rather controversial figure in the world of clinical psychology. Though McGraw's eponymous daytime talk show was praised early in its run for shining a light on mental health, many have wondered whether the show's sensationalized nature did more harm than good for McGraw's guests. Notice we used the word "guests" and not "patients." McGraw remained adamant over the years that he did not practice psychology on the set of "Dr. Phil," and that the show should be considered entertainment, not legitimate therapy. With that in mind, those who are only casually aware of McGraw may be wondering just what his qualifications actually are, and if he's even a doctor at all. To McGraw's credit, his expertise certainly checks out on paper, if his educational history is anything to go on.

McGraw does indeed have a doctoral degree, just not a medical degree. Quite the student athlete in his day, McGraw played football at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas, up until 1968. His athletic skills got him a football scholarship at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, though he ended up transferring to Midwestern State University in Texas. McGraw graduated from Midwestern with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1975. He then attended the University of North Texas, earning a master's in experimental psychology in 1976 and later a PhD in clinical psychology in 1979.

As McGraw revealed while giving a commencement speech at the University of North Texas in 2011, the day he earned his master's degree was also the day he began his decades-long marriage to his wife, Robin McGraw. "Commencement was Aug. 14, 1976. I got married Aug. 14, 1976," he shared, adding, "She said, 'What time's graduation?' I said, '2:00.' She said, 'We'll do it at 3:00.'"

Though Phil McGraw earned his doctoral degree in psychology in 1979, his education wasn't finished yet. As the official "Dr. Phil" website explains, once his time at the University of North Texas came to an end, he attended the Wilmington Institute while pursuing a post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology. McGraw was happy to flex his extensive academic background during an appearance on Steve-O's "Wild Ride" podcast in 2024. "I did my bachelor's, and master's, and then I did my PhD in clinical psychology," he said, adding that he also completed a program in medical psychology before his post-doctoral fellowship. "So, I did clinical psychology, medical psychology, and legal psychology."

Given this background, it should come as no surprise that McGraw was indeed a practicing psychologist in the state of Texas long before "Dr. Phil" premiered in 2002. In 2006, however, McGraw effectively gave up his career as an actual therapist by declining to renew his license.

Why let all those degrees go to waste? Well, while McGraw ostensibly did this to focus on his blossoming TV career in California, some have speculated that it was also a calculated legal move on his part; after all, McGraw hardly needs more legal troubles. As online commentator James Dancey opined in a 2022 breakdown of McGraw's career for The Right Opinion, "[His license] likely became a liability in his eyes. Being a practicing psychologist obviously comes with certain responsibilities, and if he or his show was found to have breached them, even if he wasn't presenting himself in a psychological capacity, then he could have landed himself in some serious s**t."