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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Behavioral Science

20 Ranked Colleges
138 Degrees Awarded
$34,600 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Behavioral Science is the 141st most popular major in the country with 4,169 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, behavioral science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,701 and had an average of $35,804 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 138 behavioral science graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in behavioral science. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in behavioral science.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree behavioral science students.

Top 20 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Behavioral Science

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Integral Studies. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major. California Institute of Integral Studies is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full CIIS Behavioral Science Report

2
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 36 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at Washington University in St Louis

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major list. UTHealth is a medium-sized public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 9 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Behavioral Science at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

4

Out of the 20 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Teachers College at Columbia University landed the #4 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s behavioral science degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at Teachers College at Columbia University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 19 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

6
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #6. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full KU Behavioral Science Report

7
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s behavioral science degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Behavioral Science at Emory

8
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified doctorate’s behavioral science students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Northwestern University Behavioral Science Report

9
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 9 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at Iowa

10
UMaine crest
University of Maine
Orono, Maine

With a ranking of #10, University of Maine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major list. University of Maine is a fairly large public school situated in Orono, Maine. It awarded 2 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at UMaine

11
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s behavioral science students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at Carnegie Mellon University

12

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #12. CU Anschutz is a large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 3 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Behavioral Science at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

13
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Cornell Behavioral Science Report

14

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #14. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Behavioral Science Report

15

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #15. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s behavioral science degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

16
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #16, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major list. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Behavioral Science at Harvard University

17
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #17. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UChicago Behavioral Science Report

18
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking. University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 doctorate’s behavioral science degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Behavioral Science at University of Delaware

18

The University of Texas Medical Branch did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #18. The University of Texas Medical Branch is a public institution located in Galveston, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full UTMB Galveston Behavioral Science Report

18

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Behavioral Science Major ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s behavioral science students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Behavioral Science at University of California - Merced

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