Best ABA Schools Near Des Moines, IA (2026)

Des Moines, Iowa has 1 accredited school offering applied behavior analysis programs. Des Moines has a population of about 212,464. Median household income is $63,966 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning applied behavior analysis-related role is Counselor, All Other at a median $73,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Applied Behavior Analysis Schools to Des Moines

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer applied behavior analysis programs near Des Moines, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Des Moines city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Des Moines. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 2.9 miles from Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,901
Avg net price $29,127/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa applied behavior analysis page.


Applied Behavior Analysis Wages Near Des Moines

Des Moines is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$61,320Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$66,870
Therapist, All OtherN/AIA statewide
Special Education Teacher, All Other$73,110Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$79,727
Counselor, All Other$73,380Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$80,022

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Des Moines at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population212,464Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,966Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Des Moines-Area Cities With Applied Behavior Analysis Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited applied behavior analysis schools are near Des Moines, IA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering applied behavior analysis programs near Des Moines. The closest is Drake University in Des Moines, IA (2.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Drake University (2.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying applied behavior analysis roles near Des Moines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying applied behavior analysis-related roles near Des Moines are: Counselor, All Other ($73,380), Special Education Teacher, All Other ($73,110), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($61,320). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in West Des Moines instead of Des Moines?

West Des Moines, IA is 8.9 miles from Des Moines and has its own set of local applied behavior analysis programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Des Moines an affordable place to study applied behavior analysis?

Des Moines’s median household income of $63,966 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Des Moines while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Applied Behavior Analysis Programs

Other Programs Available in Des Moines

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Des Moines:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.