Rogers was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His parents were Walter Rogers and Julia Cushing. He was the fourth of six children. Rogers was educated in a strict, religious environment. He was first interested in studying agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on history and religion. His interest changed from agriculture to religion. He received a bachelor's degree in 1924. After that, he entered a liberal Protestant seminary in New York City. That went against the views of his conservative father. Rogers spent two years in seminary. He later transferred to Columbia University Teachers College, where he worked with John Dewey. Rogers received his master's degree in 1928. In 1931, he received a PhD in clinical psychology from Columbia University.