Behavioral Sciences: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 19 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Behavioral Sciences pays
Career outlook for Behavioral Sciences graduates
The job market for the occupations Behavioral Sciences graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social and community service managers | 219,800 | +6.4% | $78,240 | Bachelor's degree |
| Community and social service specialists, all other | 119,200 | +4.6% | $54,940 | Bachelor's degree |
| Psychologists, all other | 55,300 | +4.3% | $117,580 | Master's degree |
| Psychology teachers, postsecondary | 52,500 | +3.6% | $80,330 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | 40,800 | -1.7% | $100,340 | Bachelor's degree |
| Social science research assistants | 40,600 | +4.4% | $58,040 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Behavioral Sciences vs similar majors
How Behavioral Sciences stacks up against the closest fields in Interdisciplinary Studies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Behavioral Sciences Interdisciplinary Studies · this major | Human Computer Interaction | Systems Science and Theory | Mathematics and Computer Science | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 19 F | 84 A | 90 A | 92 A |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $43,875 | $122,421 | $110,759 | $93,003 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $34,577 | $76,324 | $69,716 | $56,140 |
| ROI vs cost | -114% | +806% | +710% | +502% |
| Typical debt | $26,916 | $36,897 | $25,199 | $21,409 |
| Colleges offering it | 19 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
Behavioral Sciences earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Behavioral Sciences
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Certificate | $51,727 | $19,629 | +204% | Strong return |
| 2 | Concordia University-Irvine Irvine, CA | Associate's | $61,744 | $20,750 | +163% | Strong return |
| 3 | George Fox University Newberg, OR | Associate's | $56,034 | $19,739 | +56% | Break-even |
| 4 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | Associate's | $50,529 | $23,600 | +24% | Break-even |
| 5 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO | Associate's | $47,252 | — | -27% | Poor return |
| 6 | Wilmington University New Castle, DE | Associate's | $47,695 | $21,880 | -31% | Poor return |
| 7 | University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ | Associate's | $43,712 | $43,313 | -130% | Poor return |
| 8 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ | Associate's | $41,412 | $40,083 | -147% | Poor return |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI | Associate's | $43,146 | $21,250 | -154% | Poor return |
| 10 | York College of Pennsylvania York, PA | Associate's | $41,027 | — | -207% | Poor return |
| 11 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX | Certificate | $43,205 | $10,500 | -212% | Poor return |
| 12 | Concordia University-Nebraska Seward, NE | Associate's | $37,273 | $26,865 | -234% | Poor return |
| 13 | Columbia College Columbia, SC | Associate's | $36,262 | $18,760 | -300% | Poor return |
| 14 | Mid-America Christian University Oklahoma City, OK | Associate's | $30,240 | — | -542% | Poor return |
| 15 | University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ | Certificate | $34,130 | $23,813 | -590% | Poor return |
| 16 | Vincennes University Vincennes, IN | Certificate | $37,094 | $10,532 | -625% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.