Philadelphia City Guide
ABA Programs in Philadelphia
Accredited BCBA programs across the Philadelphia metro, from Temple's on-campus and online cohort to Saint Joseph's fully online M.S. Strong fieldwork networks at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), regional autism agencies, and the School District of Philadelphia, in a tri-state metro that crosses into New Jersey and Delaware.
Key Takeaways
- 01Philadelphia has two confirmed in-metro ABA master's programs: Temple University (MSEd, on-campus or online synchronous) and Saint Joseph's University (M.S., 100% online). Both prepare you for BCBA exam eligibility through BCBA Pathway 2 coursework.
- 02Pennsylvania does not issue a "Licensed Behavior Analyst" credential. The state's Behavior Specialist License (BSL) is a separate credential with its own requirements, so confirm whether your specific role needs it on top of your BCBA.
- 03The Philadelphia metro is tri-state: a Philly-area caseload can cross into Camden (NJ) and Wilmington (DE), each with its own behavior-analyst license. Plan credentials around where you actually deliver services.
- 04The BLS median for the Philadelphia metro is $58,140 for SOC 21-1018, $1,210 below the national median, with the 90th percentile at $86,740. CHOP-affiliated and clinical-leadership roles sit at the top of the local market, and New Jersey insurance mandates help hold pay up on the South Jersey side.
- 05A one-bedroom across Philadelphia runs a median $1,445 a month and housing costs 13.1% above the national average, far below Boston or New York. SEPTA plus PATCO make a car optional across much of the metro.
If you want ABA programs in Philadelphia, the in-metro options are concentrated but solid. Two universities run BCBA-pathway master's programs inside the city: Temple University (MSEd, with on-campus and online synchronous cohort options) and Saint Joseph's University (M.S., 100% online). Both feed a deep employer market anchored by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the School District of Philadelphia, and a dense private-agency network. For BCBA programs in Philadelphia, those are your two confirmed in-city choices, with strong online options nearby.
Pennsylvania built one of the country's earlier autism services markets on Act 62 (HB 1150, 2008), which mandates commercial insurance coverage of ABA for individuals under 21, with a $36,000 annual cap. Combined with PA Medical Assistance, that produces a continuous funding base for Philly-area agencies.
The licensing reality surprises most people. Pennsylvania does not have a BCBA-specific license. It has a Behavior Specialist License (BSL) administered by the PA State Board of Medicine, with its own qualifying pathway that the BCBA exam alone does not satisfy. Because the Philadelphia metro crosses into New Jersey and Delaware, both of which license behavior analysts under their own statutes, your credentialing plan should follow where you actually deliver services.
Metro scope
Includes: Philadelphia, Camden, NJ, Wilmington, DE, King of Prussia, Cherry Hill, NJ, Bryn Mawr. Programs within roughly 30 miles of Center City Philadelphia, covering Philadelphia proper, the Main Line (Bryn Mawr, King of Prussia), South Jersey (Camden, Cherry Hill), and northern Delaware (Wilmington).
Note: The Philadelphia metro spans three states, and each licenses behavior analysts differently. Pennsylvania does not have a "Licensed Behavior Analyst" credential; it has a separate Behavior Specialist License (BSL) administered by the PA State Board of Medicine, which has its own qualifying pathway and is not satisfied by the BCBA exam alone. New Jersey and Delaware both license behavior analysts under their own LBA-style statutes. If your caseload crosses the river, check which state credential each role actually requires.
The programs
Accredited BCBA programs in Philadelphia and the metro
3 programs
Temple University — MSEd in Applied Behavior Analysis
North Philadelphia · Philadelphia, PA · Broad Street Line and SEPTA Regional Rail to Temple University station
- Tuition
- $1,148/credit hour (PA resident); $1,577/credit hour (non-resident)
- Length
- 36 credits
- Format
- On-campus or online synchronous cohort
- Accreditation
- BACB Pathway 2; College of Education and Human Development
- Part-time
- Cohort scheduling accommodates working professionals
- Philadelphia-anchored public-research-university program inside the city
- On-campus and online synchronous cohort options for working RBTs and teachers
- Strong clinical placement connections across the CHOP network and metro-Philly agencies
- Lower price point than the private-university alternatives for PA residents
- 36 credits at 2025-26 Temple Bursar graduate rates
Saint Joseph's University — M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis
West Philadelphia / City Avenue · Philadelphia, PA · 100% online; campus straddles the Philadelphia / Lower Merion line
- Tuition
- $1,114/credit hour (flat private)
- Length
- 30 credits
- Format
- 100% online
- Accreditation
- BACB Pathway 2; Jesuit private university
- Part-time
- Fully online scheduling works around any work schedule
- Smallest credit count in the Philadelphia lineup at 30 credits
- 100% online delivery from a Philadelphia-area Jesuit university
- Frequently chosen by Philly-area teachers and clinicians who need full online flexibility
- Flat private per-credit rate (no in-state/out-of-state split)
- Confirm 2025-26 rates at sju.edu/tuition-fees/graduate before enrolling
Lehigh University — M.Ed. in Behavior Analysis (Lehigh Valley / online)
Bethlehem, PA (Lehigh Valley) · Bethlehem, PA · Online asynchronous; Bethlehem is roughly 60 miles north of Center City
- Tuition
- $660/credit hour (flat private)
- Length
- 30 credits
- Format
- Online, asynchronous
- Accreditation
- BACB Pathway 2; College of Education
- Part-time
- Fully asynchronous; the most schedule-flexible option in the region
- Lowest per-credit price of any Pennsylvania ABA program at roughly $660/credit (total ~$19,800)
- Fully online and asynchronous, so accessible to Philadelphia-metro students without relocating
- Run by a private research university in the Lehigh Valley
- Strong fit for working professionals who cannot attend synchronous classes
- Confirm BCBA Pathway 2 coursework coverage before enrolling
Cost of living
What it costs to live in Philadelphia while you study
Philadelphia is the most affordable of the big Northeast metros by a wide margin. Rent runs well below Boston, NYC, or DC, and the metro is dense enough that you can get by without a car using SEPTA (buses, subway, trolleys, Regional Rail) plus PATCO into South Jersey. The trade-off versus Boston or NYC is a somewhat thinner concentration of in-city programs, but the cost-of-living math is friendlier for students.
Housing, 2024
113.1
13.1% above the national average
Everything, 2024
102.6
2.6% above the national average
Metro median pay covers
$56,667
of national-average spending
Housing runs 13.1% above the national average, which is the single biggest reason the overall cost of living lands where it does.
Both figures are BEA Regional Price Parities for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, 2024, where the national average is 100. Housing is the services-housing component; the second figure is the whole basket.
1-BR rent, Philadelphia median
$1,445/mo
Zumper, August 2026
2-BR rent, Philadelphia median
$1,699/mo
Zumper, August 2026
1-BR rent, Center City
Above the metro median
Walkable to Temple Center City and Jefferson; no car needed
1-BR rent, University City
Above the metro median
Penn and Drexel campuses; heavy student demand
1-BR rent, Fishtown / Northern Liberties
Around the metro median
Market-Frankford line into Center City
1-BR rent, Northeast Philadelphia
Below the metro median
Cheapest intown option; Regional Rail or a car
1-BR rent, Camden / South Jersey
Below the metro median
PATCO into Center City, but a different state for licensure
SEPTA monthly TransPass
$96/mo
Unlimited bus, subway and trolley; Regional Rail costs more by zone
City wage tax, residents
3.75%
Philadelphia levies this on top of Pennsylvania income tax
Clinical fieldwork
BCBA certification in Philadelphia: where Philadelphia-area students do supervised fieldwork
Philadelphia has a deep clinical placement landscape for ABA fieldwork. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) anchors the hospital side, the School District of Philadelphia and surrounding suburban districts host school-based fieldwork, and a dense network of private autism agencies serves the metro across Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and northern Delaware.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
CHOP's Center for Autism Research and behavioral health programs are among the strongest pediatric placements on the East Coast. Highly competitive practicum and research sites.
School District of Philadelphia and suburban districts
The School District of Philadelphia, plus Main Line and suburban districts (Lower Merion, Cherry Hill in NJ), employ behavior specialists and host school-based fieldwork for graduate students.
Nemours / A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware (formerly A.I. duPont) in Wilmington serves the Delaware side of the metro with pediatric behavioral health and autism services.
Private ABA agencies (PA, NJ, DE)
Dozens of insurance-funded and Medicaid-funded agencies across the tri-state metro host supervised fieldwork, including national chains and regional providers serving Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington.
Early intervention and county programs
PA county early-intervention programs and the Philadelphia Infant Toddler Early Intervention system place students in home- and center-based ABA roles under qualified BCBA supervisors.
Hiring market
Major ABA employers across the Philadelphia metro
The Philadelphia metro BCBA employer market is anchored by CHOP and the School District of Philadelphia, with a dense layer of private autism agencies serving Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and northern Delaware. The tri-state geography means employers on the New Jersey side benefit from strong NJ insurance mandates, which tends to lift pay.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Pediatric academic medical center
CHOP's autism and behavioral health programs hire BCBAs into clinical and research roles. Competitive but well-paid, with strong loan-forgiveness eligibility.
School District of Philadelphia
Public school district
Employs BCBAs and behavior specialists across its special education programs throughout the city.
Nemours Children's Health, Delaware
Pediatric health system
Wilmington-based pediatric system (formerly A.I. duPont) serving the Delaware side of the metro with behavioral health and autism services.
Bancroft
Nonprofit autism and disability services
Long-established South Jersey nonprofit (Cherry Hill / Mount Laurel area) providing autism, special education, and behavioral services across the Philadelphia-Camden metro.
Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
Nonprofit behavioral health
Major behavioral health nonprofit headquartered in the Philadelphia suburbs (Villanova) with autism and ABA programs across the region.
Elwyn
Nonprofit disability services
Long-running Philadelphia-area nonprofit (Media, PA) providing services for children and adults with autism and intellectual disabilities, including BCBA roles.
Side by side
Comparing the 3 Philadelphia programs
The same programs as above, set against each other on the things that decide which one you apply to: how it is delivered, how long it runs, what it costs, and whether it asks for the GRE.
| Program | Format | Length | Tuition | GRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple University — MSEd in Applied Behavior Analysis Philadelphia, PA | On-campus or online synchronous cohort | 36 credits | $1,148/credit hour (PA resident); $1,577/credit hour (non-resident) | Not required |
| Saint Joseph's University — M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis Philadelphia, PA | 100% online | 30 credits | $1,114/credit hour (flat private) | Not required |
| Lehigh University — M.Ed. in Behavior Analysis (Lehigh Valley / online) Bethlehem, PA | Online, asynchronous | 30 credits | $660/credit hour (flat private) | Not required |
Metro pay
BCBA salary in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA
Metro median
$58,140
National median
$59,350
10th percentile
$36,940
90th percentile
$86,740
BLS metro median, May 2025
$58,140
$1,210 below the national median
Cost of living, 2024
102.6
2.6% above the national average
Worth nationally
$56,667
the same pay in national-average dollars
Because prices run 2.6% above the national average, $58,140 here goes about as far as $56,667 would nationally.
BLS does not publish a separate occupation for behavior analysts. This is the May 2025 median for SOC 21-1018 (Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors), the category BCBAs are counted in, which also contains counseling roles that typically pay less. Read it as a floor for the metro, not as BCBA pay. Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. Cost of living is the BEA Regional Price Parity for the metro, all items, 2024, where the national average is 100. It is the most recent year BEA publishes, so it sits one year behind the wage figure. Prices: BEA Regional Price Parities.
The published figure for this metro is $58,140, the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for SOC 21-1018, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro. That is $1,210 below the national median of $59,350 for the same code. BLS does not publish a separate occupation for behavior analysts, and SOC 21-1018 also contains counseling roles that do not require a master's degree plus board certification, so read $58,140 as a floor for the metro rather than as BCBA pay.
The same release puts the 10th percentile at $36,940 and the 90th at $86,740. Because BCBA-titled roles sit at the credentialed end of that category, the 90th percentile is the more useful marker for what an experienced behavior analyst earns here, and the median is the more useful one for what the wider category pays. Prices across the metro run 2.6% above the national average, so $58,140 here goes about as far as $56,667 would nationally. Housing on its own runs 13.1% above the national average.
Within the metro, CHOP-affiliated and clinical-leadership roles sit at the top of the local market, and New Jersey's insurance mandates help hold pay up on the South Jersey side. Philadelphia residents also pay a city wage tax on top of Pennsylvania income tax. For national context see our BCBA salary guide.
Other cities
Other cities in Pennsylvania
We also cover one other metro in Pennsylvania. If you can commute, comparing them is worth ten minutes — the program list changes, but so does the fieldwork market, and that is the half your location actually constrains.
Nearby metros
If you're flexible on metro
Philadelphia students sometimes compare the broader Pennsylvania market (Pittsburgh, the Lehigh Valley) or the much larger NYC metro to the north. The PA state guide covers all five in-state programs and the BSL licensing details; the NYC guide covers the largest market on the East Coast.
ABA Programs in Pennsylvania
Full PA state guide: Act 62, the Behavior Specialist License (BSL) vs. the BCBA, and all five in-state programs including the only ABAI-Accredited option at Penn State Harrisburg.
ABA Programs in New York City
NYC metro guide covering NYU, CUNY, LIU Post, Hofstra, Adelphi, plus Seton Hall and Rutgers Newark.
ABA Programs by State
Browse our state-by-state ABA program guides, including the Pennsylvania breakdown.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
01How many ABA programs are in Philadelphia?+
02What is the best BCBA program in Philadelphia?+
03Do I need a Pennsylvania state license to practice ABA in Philadelphia?+
04Does the Philadelphia ABA job market cross into New Jersey and Delaware?+
05How much do BCBAs make in Philadelphia?+
06Where do Philadelphia ABA students do supervised fieldwork?+
07Is Philadelphia a good city to start a BCBA career?+
Sources
- BACB, University Training for Those Pursuing BCBA Certification
- PA State Board of Medicine (Behavior Specialist License), Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA (SOC 21-1018)
- Pennsylvania Autism Insurance Act (Act 62, HB 1150), PAAutism.org
- Autism New Jersey
- ABAI Accredited Programs Directory