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Behavioral scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a behavioral scientist. Behavioral scientists usually study psychology, sociology, or behavioral sciences. 60% of behavioral scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 66 real behavioral scientist resumes to see exactly what behavioral scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for behavioral scientists are the Northern Kentucky University and the Northern Kentucky University.
There are also many online behavioral scientist courses to help get the education required to be a behavioral scientist.
What education do you need to become a behavioral scientist?
What degree do you need to be a behavioral scientist?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 23%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Associate, 6%
What should I major in to become a behavioral scientist?
- Psychology, 36%
- Sociology, 9%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for behavioral scientists
| Behavioral scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northern Kentucky University | 8.33% |
| Oklahoma State University | 8.33% |
| Smith College | 8.33% |
| United States Air Force Academy | 8.33% |
| University of Dayton | 4.17% |
Best majors for behavioral scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 36.2% |
| 2 | Sociology | 8.5% |
| 3 | Behavioral Sciences | 6.4% |
| 4 | Experimental Psychology | 6.4% |
| 5 | Social Work | 6.4% |
Best colleges for behavioral scientists
The best colleges for behavioral scientists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
A behavioral scientist 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 scientists. 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 scientists.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for behavioral scientists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for behavioral scientists
The most affordable schools for behavioral scientists 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 scientists 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 scientists.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 scientists
The hardest universities for behavioral scientists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for behavioral scientists 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 scientists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for behavioral scientists
The easiest schools for behavioral scientists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, felician university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a behavioral scientist 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 scientists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average behavioral scientist salary by education level
| Behavioral scientist education level | Behavioral scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $87,788 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,253 |
| Doctorate Degree | $89,409 |
Behavioral scientist 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