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Behavioral Sciences

Types of Degrees Behavioral Sciences Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Behavioral Sciences have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	47
Associate’s Degree	887
Bachelor’s Degree	1,881
Master’s Degree	2,382
Doctor’s Degree	194

What Behavioral Sciences Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Behavioral Sciences develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Behavioral Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Behavioral Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Behavioral Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Behavioral Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Behavioral Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Behavioral Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Behavioral Sciences graduates include:

• Applied Psychology Teacher
• College Professor
• School Psychology Professor
• Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member
• Clinical Psychology Professor
• Child Psychology Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Psychology Faculty Member
• Child Development Teacher
• Lecturer
• University Faculty Member
• Psychology Professor
• Educational Psychology Teacher
• Adjunct Psychology Professor
• Assistant Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Behavioral Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	39.2%
Doctoral degree	26.7%
Master’s degree	15.1%
Bachelor’s degree	14.5%
Some college courses	1.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.0%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Behavioral Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.3% of Behavioral Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,384	81.3%
Men	1,007	18.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Behavioral Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,401	44.5%
Asian	345	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,246	23.1%
Black or African American	571	10.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	35	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	11	0.2%
Two or More Races	245	4.5%
Race Unknown	178	3.3%
International Students	359	6.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Behavioral Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Behavioral Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$39,033
4 years	$37,486
5 years	$43,291

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $43,291 — roughly 11% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Behavioral Sciences Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Behavioral Sciences. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	9	1
Bachelor’s	8	5
Master’s	3	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Behavioral Sciences Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Behavioral Sciences graduates earn a median of $37,486 four years after completion — about 1% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Behavioral Sciences	30.17
Biopsychology	30.1001

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.