How we rank

Our Ranking Methodology

Most ABA program rankings are reputation surveys dressed up as research. Ours aren't. We score programs on the data students actually need to predict outcomes: BCBA Pathway 2 coursework status, ABAI accreditation, first-time BCBA exam pass rates, cost relative to starting salary, and program format. Every weight, source, and exclusion is on this page.

Key Takeaways

01Programs are scored on five things: BCBA Pathway 2 coursework status, ABAI accreditation, first-time BCBA exam pass rates, cost relative to starting salary, and format.
02Reputation surveys and prestige polls are deliberately left out.
03Every score is built from publicly verifiable data, and the sources are linked on this page.
04Rankings are refreshed when the BACB releases new pass-rate data, when ABAI accreditation changes and when programs publish new tuition.

Evaluation Criteria

Every program in our rankings is scored across five dimensions. The weights reflect what predicts whether a student finishes, passes the BCBA exam, and works in the field. Not what wins prestige polls.

Accreditation (30%)

We verify regional accreditation (HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU, WSCUC) plus ABAI accreditation and BCBA Pathway 2 coursework status. Programs with full ABAI accreditation score highest. Programs without a qualifying coursework path are excluded entirely.

BCBA Exam Pass Rate (25%)

First-time BCBA exam pass rates from the BACB's annual program-level data release. We use the most recent rolling-year figure available. A program with a sub-50% first-time pass rate is flagged in the page itself, regardless of its other strengths.

Student Outcomes (20%)

Graduation rates, time-to-completion, and reported employment in behavior-analytic settings within 12 months of graduation. Sourced from IPEDS where available, supplemented by program-published placement data.

Affordability & Value (15%)

Total program cost (tuition plus required fees), scholarship and assistantship availability, in-state vs. out-of-state pricing transparency, and cost relative to typical BCBA starting salary in the state where most graduates work.

Flexibility & Support (10%)

Online, hybrid, and in-person formats. Part-time availability. Fieldwork supervision support and placement help for working RBTs pursuing the BCBA. Whether the program counts toward the 2027 BCBA Standards.

What We Don't Use

Exclusions are as important as inclusions. These are signals we deliberately leave out and why.

— Reputation surveys, alumni-perception polls, or peer-academic prestige scores. Those reward incumbency, not student outcomes.
— Programs without BCBA Pathway 2 coursework status or an equivalent ABA-coursework path that qualifies graduates for the BCBA exam.
— Programs that pay us. Advertisers can sit alongside the rankings, but no payment moves a program up the list.
— Self-reported placement claims with no underlying data. If a program says 100% of graduates get jobs but won't publish the cohort size, we don't repeat the number.

Data Sources

Every score is built from publicly verifiable data. We link out to the original sources so you can check our work.

Updates and Corrections

We refresh rankings when the BACB releases new exam pass-rate data (annually), when ABAI accreditation status changes, and when programs publish new tuition figures. Every ranking page displays a "last updated" date.

If you work at a program and you think we have a fact wrong, email hello@savomediagroup.com with a primary source and we'll review it.