Behavioral analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a behavioral analyst. Behavioral analysts usually study psychology, criminal justice, or social work. 65% of behavioral analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 416 real behavioral analyst resumes to see exactly what behavioral analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for behavioral analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online behavioral analyst courses to help get the education required to be a behavioral analyst.

What education do you need to become a behavioral analyst?

What degree do you need to be a behavioral analyst?

The most common degree for behavioral analysts is bachelor's degree, with 65% of behavioral analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a behavioral analyst?

You should major in psychology to become a behavioral analyst. 39% of behavioral analysts major in psychology. Other common majors for a behavioral analyst include criminal justice and social work.

Psychology, 39%

Criminal Justice, 9%

Social Work, 5%

Counseling Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for behavioral analysts

Behavioral analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida International University, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for behavioral analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Behavioral analyst common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	11.94%
Florida International University	8.96%
Temple University	7.46%
University of California - Davis	7.46%
Marshall University	5.97%

Show more common behavioral analyst colleges

Best majors for behavioral analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	38.8%
2	Criminal Justice	8.6%
3	Social Work	5.2%
4	Counseling Psychology	5.2%
5	Human Development	4.3%

Show more common behavioral analyst majors

Best colleges for behavioral analysts

The best colleges for behavioral analysts are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.

A behavioral analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for behavioral analysts. 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 behavioral analysts.

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Holy Cross

New Orleans, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,180

Enrollment

863

9. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for behavioral analysts

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18. Behavioral Economics and Neuromarketing

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20. The Data Analyst Course: Complete Data Analyst Bootcamp

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Top 10 most affordable universities for behavioral analysts

The most affordable schools for behavioral analysts 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 behavioral analysts 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 behavioral analysts.

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for behavioral analysts

The hardest universities for behavioral analysts to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for behavioral analysts 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 behavioral analysts 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for behavioral analysts

The easiest schools for behavioral analysts to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, life university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a behavioral analyst 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 behavioral analysts.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average behavioral analyst salary by education level

According to our data, behavioral analysts with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $83,040 annually. Behavioral analysts with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $62,772.

Behavioral analyst education level	Behavioral analyst salary
Master's Degree	$83,040
Bachelor's Degree	$62,772

Behavioral analyst education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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