Best Undergraduate Degrees for Becoming a BCBA (And the Money Mistake I Learned the Hard Way)
- abaunleashed
- Nov 30, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2025
If I could go back and talk to undergrad-me — the girl with the color-coded binders and “I’m gonna be a BCBA” energy —
I’d hold her face in my hands and whisper:
“Baby… pick a financially smart degree.”
Use your brain during this era, not your heart.
Because psychology?
I love her. She shaped me.
But financially? She did not hold me during the climb.
And the moment I realized it still stings a little.
The Moment It Hit Me (The Family-Room Humbling)
We were all at my mom’s house — kids running around, five different conversations happening like always.
My older brother pulled me aside and asked, “So how much do you make now?”
I answered proudly:
“About $50k.”
It took me 10 years in the mental-health world to get there, so in that moment?
I felt accomplished.
He blinked and said:
“You went to college… and that’s it?”
My pride evaporated in real time.
Then he added — too casually for the emotional damage he caused —“I make more than that and I didn’t even go to college.”
Behind my smile, my whole nervous system went still.
My little sister, a teacher, chimed in:
“I don’t even make $50k.”
And my brother?
“Yeah… I bring in about $90k.”
That was the moment I realized psychology wasn’t the financially strategic choice I thought it was.
Not because it isn’t meaningful (it is).
But because it didn’t support the life I was trying to build while I climbed toward becoming a BCBA.
Why This Matters (Now More Than Ever)
Back when I started, the BACB was strict:
Psychology.
Sociology.
Something “related.”
Social work didn’t count.
Education didn’t count.
You had no freedom.
So I took the only door they left open.
But in 2025 and beyond?
You can major in anything as long as you complete the ABA coursework and hold a qualifying master’s.
Which means:
You can choose a degree that pays you well,
supports you during grad school,
and keeps your future flexible.
Psychology is not the problem.
The lack of strategy is.
What Undergrad Degrees ACTUALLY Set You Up Best (Financially + Clinically)
These degrees keep you stable while building skills you’ll reuse as a BCBA.
1. Special Education / K–12 Teaching
Predictable salary + benefits
Summer schedules that pair beautifully with grad school
You learn real-world data collection, IEPs, collaboration
2. Social Work (BSW → MSW)
Huge crossover with family systems + ethics
Stronger pay ceilings
Multiple license pathways
Built-in experience with documentation and case management
3. Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) or Pre-OT
Solid income straight out of school
Hands-on ADLs, sensory regulation, task analysis
ABA crossover: chaining, shaping, environment design
4. Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) or Pre-SLP
High parent involvement
AAC experience
Great for BCBA communication goals
Many markets pay very well
5. Public or Community Health
Program design
Data literacy
Prevention models (ABA loves this!)
Strong upward mobility
6. Therapeutic Recreation / Recreation Therapy
Natural environment teaching
Preference assessments built into daily routines
Community-based practice
These options keep:
✔ your income predictable
✔ your bills paid
✔ your BCBA-relevant skills growing
✔ your future flexible
This is what I wish someone had told me in my early 20s.
If No One Ever Said This to You, Let Me Say It Clearly
You are not irresponsible for wanting your bills paid.
You are not less dedicated because you choose a well-paying role.
You are building a life and a career.
Both deserve dignity.
Psychology is a beautiful door.
So is social work, SPED, OT, SLP, and public health.
Choose the one that will hold you while you grow into the BCBA you’re becoming.
With love,
Rae 💚 Founder,
ABA Unleashed® — human-first, jargon-last
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