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Behavior interventionist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a behavior interventionist. Behavior interventionists usually study psychology, sociology, or counseling psychology. 73% of behavior interventionists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,946 real behavior interventionist resumes to see exactly what behavior interventionist education sections show.

The most common colleges for behavior interventionists are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

There are also many online behavior interventionist courses to help get the education required to be a behavior interventionist.

There are certain behavior interventionist certifications that you should consider. These behavior interventionist certifications include Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

What education do you need to become a behavior interventionist?

What degree do you need to be a behavior interventionist?

The most common degree for behavior interventionists is bachelor's degree, with 73% of behavior interventionists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a behavior interventionist?

You should major in psychology to become a behavior interventionist. 44% of behavior interventionists major in psychology. Other common majors for a behavior interventionist include sociology and counseling psychology.

Most common colleges for behavior interventionists

Behavior interventionists often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, California State University - San Bernardino, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for behavior interventionists in the US based on their resumes.
Behavior interventionist common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis16.08%
California State University - San Bernardino12.99%
University of California, Santa Barbara11.13%
San Diego State University6.80%
California State University - Northridge6.19%

Best majors for behavior interventionists

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology44.0%
2Sociology7.9%
3Counseling Psychology6.0%
4Human Development5.1%
5Social Work4.7%

Best colleges for behavior interventionists

The best colleges for behavior interventionists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.

A behavior interventionist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for behavior interventionists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become behavior interventionists.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for behavior interventionists

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1. Creating Behavioral Change

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In this course you will learn about understanding and changing mental and physical health behavior. We will examine both the historical context and the current science. Major topics will include fundamental behavioral principles and basic elements of empirically supported individual treatments (e.g., motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapies). Lectures and examples will illustrate both the theory and the practice of evidence-based approaches to behavior change. You will engage...

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3. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): The Complete Course

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4. DOG BEHAVIOR & DOG TRAINING: Fix Problems & Animal Behavior

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5. Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action

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Humans often fail to make rational decisions that affect their health. This course seeks to heighten understanding of the social and behavioral factors that contribute to health decisions and behaviors, with an ultimate goal of learning how to utilize these factors in improving public health efforts. Through a set of experiential learning exercises, students will learn to apply the science of health behavior change in their own lives. The course is appropriate for students interested in health...

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7. Cat Behavior Rectification & Cat Health Care: 2 courses in 1

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8. [Accredited] Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Counselor

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9. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT Life Coaching Certification

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12. Introduction to Behavioral Economics & Consumer Psychology

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Learn how to apply some of the most powerful principles from consumer psychology to increase conversions...

13. Introduction to CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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Online Counselling & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Training Course...

14. Crucial Concepts in Dog Behavior & Training

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Learn cutting edge and common sense concepts that make dog training incredibly easy and effective...

15. Applied Behavioural Analysis(ABA): Application and therapy

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# 1 rank Applied Behavioral Analysis(ABA)course. Step by step understanding and applications on ABA intervention...

16. Crisis Intervention Seminar

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The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...

17. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)

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Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...

18. Simple Solutions for Common Dog Behavior & Training Problems

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19. Behavioral Economics and Neuromarketing

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20. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)

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Guiding students into the field of mental health services for either personal and/or professional development...

Top 10 most affordable universities for behavior interventionists

The most affordable schools for behavior interventionists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for behavior interventionists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for behavior interventionists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for behavior interventionists

The hardest universities for behavior interventionists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for behavior interventionists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for behavior interventionists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for behavior interventionists

The easiest schools for behavior interventionists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a behavior interventionist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for behavior interventionists.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

Average behavior interventionist salary by education level

According to our data, behavior interventionists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,026 annually. Behavior interventionists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $36,746.
Behavior interventionist education levelBehavior interventionist salary
Master's Degree$43,026
Bachelor's Degree$36,746

Behavior interventionist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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