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Behavioral psychologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a behavioral psychologist. Behavioral psychologists usually study psychology, clinical psychology, or counseling psychology. 47% of behavioral psychologists hold a master's degree, and 30% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 38 real behavioral psychologist resumes to see exactly what behavioral psychologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for behavioral psychologists are the Eastern Michigan University and the Eastern Michigan University.
There are also many online behavioral psychologist courses to help get the education required to be a behavioral psychologist.
What education do you need to become a behavioral psychologist?
What degree do you need to be a behavioral psychologist?
- Master's, 47%
- Bachelor's, 30%
- Doctorate, 17%
- Associate, 7%
What should I major in to become a behavioral psychologist?
- Psychology, 37%
- Clinical Psychology, 20%
- Other Majors, 23%
Most common colleges for behavioral psychologists
| Behavioral psychologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan University | 30.43% |
| Henderson State University | 4.35% |
| Brown University | 4.35% |
| Madonna University | 4.35% |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | 4.35% |
Best majors for behavioral psychologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 36.7% |
| 2 | Clinical Psychology | 20.0% |
| 3 | Counseling Psychology | 16.7% |
| 4 | Special Education | 3.3% |
| 5 | Literature | 3.3% |
Best colleges for behavioral psychologists
The best colleges for behavioral psychologists are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A behavioral psychologist 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 psychologists. 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 psychologists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
4. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
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. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for behavioral psychologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for behavioral psychologists
The most affordable schools for behavioral psychologists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for behavioral psychologists 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 psychologists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for behavioral psychologists
The hardest universities for behavioral psychologists to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for behavioral psychologists 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 psychologists 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for behavioral psychologists
The easiest schools for behavioral psychologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a behavioral psychologist 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 psychologists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average behavioral psychologist salary by education level
| Behavioral psychologist education level | Behavioral psychologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,400 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,703 |
Behavioral psychologist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025