Behavioral Aspects of Health Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Behavioral Aspects of Health maps to BLS occupations averaging about $151,136, with roughly 3,390,160 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $9,992; common paths include Registered Nurses and Home Health Aides.
Key Statistics
Behavioral Aspects of Health: what the data shows
Common questions about behavioral aspects of health degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a behavioral aspects of health degree?
A Behavioral Aspects of Health program is classified under NCES CIP 51.2212 in the Public Health field family (51.22).
A program that focuses on the biological, behavioral, and socio-cultural determinants of health and health behavior, and the interventions and policies aimed at improving community and population health. Includes instruction in behavioral sciences, public health practice and policy, human services, and research methods
IPEDS counted 343 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of behavioral aspects of health degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.22 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Community Health and Preventive Medicine (CIP 51.2208)
- Environmental Health (CIP 51.2202)
- Health Services Administration (CIP 51.2211)
- Health/Medical Physics (CIP 51.2205)
- International Public Health/International Health (CIP 51.2210)
- Maternal and Child Health (CIP 51.2209)
- Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene (CIP 51.2206)
- Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality (CIP 51.2213)
- Public Health Education and Promotion (CIP 51.2207)
- Public Health Genetics (CIP 51.2214)
- Public Health, General (CIP 51.2201)
How long does it take to get a behavioral aspects of health degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.2212 in our file:
- 43 Associate (8.3% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 343 Bachelor's (66.6% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 120 Master's (23.3% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 9 Doctorate (1.7% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Registered Nurses (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 51.2212, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a behavioral aspects of health degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Behavioral Aspects of Health to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,282,010 | $93,600 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | 23,220 | $109,660 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a behavioral aspects of health degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Public Health bachelor's program family: median debt $25,768, median earnings $58,808 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.69.
About 5.0% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,992 and median net price is $17,321.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Behavioral Aspects of Health and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,992 Median In-State Public
$39,800 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Behavioral Aspects of Health majors are, on average, $9,992 for in-state public colleges, and $39,800 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Behavioral Aspects of Health programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Behavioral Aspects of Health from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Behavioral Aspects of Health.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 85,991 |
| 4 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 5 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Behavioral Aspects of Health programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haskell Indian Nations University | KS | $600 |
| 2 | Cypress College | CA | $1,150 |
| 3 | MiraCosta College | CA | $1,158 |
| 4 | San Joaquin Delta College | CA | $1,180 |
| 5 | Monterey Peninsula College | CA | $1,188 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Behavioral Aspects of Health programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
| 3 | St Petersburg College | FL | $1,471 |
| 4 | Middlesex College | NJ | $2,288 |
| 5 | San Joaquin Delta College | CA | $2,407 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Behavioral Aspects of Health programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Behavioral Aspects of Health programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Behavioral Aspects of Health is in TX (159 completions). That state represents about 46.4% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is VT (0.22% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 159 | 46.4% | 0.05% |
| CA | 82 | 23.9% | 0.02% |
| MA | 34 | 9.9% | 0.03% |
| VT | 27 | 7.9% | 0.22% |
| NY | 12 | 3.5% | 0.00% |
| PA | 11 | 3.2% | 0.01% |
| MI | 6 | 1.8% | 0.01% |
| DE | 4 | 1.2% | 0.03% |
| ND | 4 | 1.2% | 0.03% |
| OR | 3 | 0.9% | 0.01% |
| IN | 1 | 0.3% | 0.00% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.22 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Community Health and Preventive Medicine CIP 51.2208
- Environmental Health CIP 51.2202
- Health Services Administration CIP 51.2211
- Health/Medical Physics CIP 51.2205
- International Public Health/International Health CIP 51.2210
- Maternal and Child Health CIP 51.2209
- Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene CIP 51.2206
- Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality CIP 51.2213
- Public Health Education and Promotion CIP 51.2207
- Public Health Genetics CIP 51.2214
- Public Health, General CIP 51.2201
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.2212 in the survey year used in our extract (515 total across levels below).
- 43 Associate (8.3% of IPEDS total)
- 343 Bachelor's (66.6% of IPEDS total)
- 120 Master's (23.3% of IPEDS total)
- 9 Doctorate (1.7% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $151,136. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $152,361 | 3,282,010 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $127,278 | 23,220 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Public Health CIP family (89 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Behavioral Aspects of Health graduate.
- $25,768 median federal loan debt among completers
- $58,808 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.0% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$151,136 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Behavioral Aspects of Health majors is $151,136.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Behavioral Aspects of Health majors.
Occupations by Share
3,390,160 2023 Workforce
The number of Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Behavioral Aspects of Health by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Behavioral Aspects of Health in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Behavioral Aspects of Health.
Age distribution for Behavioral Aspects of Health degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
343 Total Degrees Awarded
71 Male (20.70%)
272 Female (79.30%)
Gender distribution of Behavioral Aspects of Health degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
114 White (33.24%)
85 Hispanic or Latino (24.78%)
71 Asian (20.70%)
50 Black or African American (14.58%)
13 Two or More Races (3.79%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Behavioral Aspects of Health degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Behavioral Aspects of Health are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Behavioral Aspects of Health.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Behavioral Aspects of Health field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Behavioral Aspects of Health majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Behavioral Aspects of Health majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Behavioral Aspects of Health majors.
About
A program that focuses on the biological, behavioral, and socio-cultural determinants of health and health behavior, and the interventions and policies aimed at improving community and population health. Includes instruction in behavioral sciences, public health practice and policy, human services, and research methods
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Behavioral Aspects of Health.
CIP Code
51.2212 - Behavioral Aspects of Health
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $25,768 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $58,808, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Behavioral Aspects of Health graduate.
Women earned 79.9% of 623 Behavioral Aspects of Health completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $151,136. The largest mapped role by headcount is Registered Nurses (3,282,010 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $9,992 in-state at public colleges and $39,800 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.