Behavioral therapist education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a behavioral therapist?

You need a bachelor's degree in psychology, counseling, or social services to be a behavioral therapist. Master's degrees in social work or counseling (and in some instances doctoral degrees), however, are required for positions that provide more services with less supervision.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a behavioral therapist. Behavioral therapists usually study psychology, social work, or sociology. 70% of behavioral therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,149 real behavioral therapist resumes to see exactly what behavioral therapist education sections show.

The most common colleges for behavioral therapists are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

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

What education do you need to become a behavioral therapist?

What degree do you need to be a behavioral therapist?

The most common degree for behavioral therapists is bachelor's degree, with 70% of behavioral therapists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a behavioral therapist?

You should major in psychology to become a behavioral therapist. 48% of behavioral therapists major in psychology. Other common majors for a behavioral therapist include social work and sociology.

Psychology, 48%

Social Work, 6%

Sociology, 5%

Counseling Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for behavioral therapists

Behavioral therapists 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 behavioral therapists in the US based on their resumes.

Behavioral therapist common college	Percentages
University of California - Davis	12.66%
California State University - San Bernardino	12.13%
University of California, Santa Barbara	11.06%
California State University - Northridge	8.94%
University of Phoenix	6.91%

Show more common behavioral therapist colleges

Best majors for behavioral therapists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	47.5%
2	Social Work	5.5%
3	Sociology	5.3%
4	Counseling Psychology	4.6%
5	Human Development	4.4%

Show more common behavioral therapist majors

Best colleges for behavioral therapists

The best colleges for behavioral therapists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A behavioral 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 behavioral 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 behavioral 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for behavioral therapists

Advertising disclosure

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2. CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Therapists & Coaches

4.6

(1,500)

Comprehensive CBT Therapy Training Cognitive Behavior Therapy Practitioner Level Treat Anxiety, Depression & More...

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

4.7

(291)

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)...

4. Occupational Therapy Introduction - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

4.4

(568)

How to become occupational therapist, basic Psychology, Physiology & Anatomy, working with disabilities, children adults...

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

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6. Dog & Cat Behavior Problems

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Learn the essential training techniques you'll need to raise a pet dog or cat and fix common behavior problems...

7. Introduction to CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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

8. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT Life Coaching Certification

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Learn DBT in depth, start conducting sessions with ready to use templates, and set up counseling practice within weeks!...

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

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

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14. Simple Solutions for Common Dog Behavior & Training Problems

4.6

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Learn to address house soiling, chewing, barking, digging, separation anxiety, jumping up, pulling on leash and more...

15. Autism Awareness Course for Parents - Autism Training

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16. How to Train a Puppy

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17. Mindful Parenting Diploma Happy Positive Children

4.5

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Earn Your Certification in Mindful Parenting and Positive Psychology and Improve Your Family's Well-being...

18. Crisis Intervention Seminar

4.4

(634)

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

19. CBT and Positive Psychology: Your Journey to Happiness

4.8

(305)

Cognitive Behavior Therapy CBT Happiness Success Mental Health Personal Transformation Emotional Intelligence...

20. Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

4.5

(273)

The Comprehensive Overview - An Accredited & Certificated Course...

Top 10 most affordable universities for behavioral therapists

The most affordable schools for behavioral 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 behavioral 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 behavioral 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for behavioral therapists

The hardest universities for behavioral therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for behavioral 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 behavioral 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

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

The easiest schools for behavioral 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 behavioral 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 behavioral 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. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

Average behavioral therapist salary by education level

According to our data, behavioral therapists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $42,573 annually. Behavioral therapists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $35,450.

Behavioral therapist education level	Behavioral therapist salary
Master's Degree	$42,573
Bachelor's Degree	$35,450

Behavioral therapist education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a behavioral therapist?

What is the best college for Behavioral Therapists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

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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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