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Behavior therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a behavior therapist. Behavior therapists usually study psychology, counseling psychology, or special education. 71% of behavior therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,533 real behavior therapist resumes to see exactly what behavior therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for behavior therapists are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.
There are also many online behavior therapist courses to help get the education required to be a behavior therapist.
There are certain behavior therapist certifications that you should consider. These behavior therapist certifications include Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
What education do you need to become a behavior therapist?
What degree do you need to be a behavior therapist?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a behavior therapist?
- Psychology, 47%
- Sociology, 5%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for behavior therapists
| Behavior therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - San Bernardino | 11.84% |
| University of California - Davis | 11.23% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.77% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.67% |
| California State University - Northridge | 8.18% |
Best majors for behavior therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 47.4% |
| 2 | Counseling Psychology | 6.6% |
| 3 | Special Education | 5.2% |
| 4 | Sociology | 4.5% |
| 5 | Human Development | 4.1% |
Best colleges for behavior therapists
The best colleges for behavior therapists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A behavior therapist 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 therapists. 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 therapists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
20 best online courses for behavior therapists
Advertising disclosure
1. Creating Behavioral Change
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2. Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action
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8. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT Life Coaching Certification
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9. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Life Coach Specialty
CBT Life Coaching: Emotional Intelligence - Tools for Overcoming Negative Emotions like Anxiety, Fear, Undue Stress...
10. Cat Behavior Rectification & Cat Health Care: 2 courses in 1
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12. [Accredited] Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Counselor
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13. Introduction to CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Online Counselling & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Training Course...
14. Occupational Therapy Introduction - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE
How to become occupational therapist, basic Psychology, Physiology & Anatomy, working with disabilities, children adults...
15. Applied Behavioural Analysis(ABA): Application and therapy
# 1 rank Applied Behavioral Analysis(ABA)course. Step by step understanding and applications on ABA intervention...
16. Introduction to Behavioral Economics & Consumer Psychology
Learn how to apply some of the most powerful principles from consumer psychology to increase conversions...
17. How to Train a Puppy
Train your puppy the right way with Dr. Ian Dunbar. Includes 13 videos, 4 books, and 16 behavior blueprints...
18. CBT Cognitive Behavior Life Coach Certification: Accredited
With CBT: Empower coaching clients to stop self-sabotage, reprogram their mind, master emotions & stop negative thinking...
19. Behavioral Economics and Neuromarketing
Learn how to affect the decision making flows and increase sales/usage of your products. Make better decisions in life...
20. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)
Guiding students into the field of mental health services for either personal and/or professional development...
Top 10 most affordable universities for behavior therapists
The most affordable schools for behavior therapists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for behavior therapists 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 therapists.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for behavior therapists
The hardest universities for behavior therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for behavior therapists 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 therapists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for behavior therapists
The easiest schools for behavior therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a behavior therapist 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 therapists.
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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average behavior therapist salary by education level
| Behavior therapist education level | Behavior therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,495 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,491 |
Behavior therapist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025