Best ABA Schools Near McAllen, TX (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McAllen, Texas is home to about 143,789 residents. Median household income is $60,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning applied behavior analysis-related role is Therapist, All Other at a median $74,750 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Applied Behavior Analysis Schools to McAllen

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer applied behavior analysis programs near McAllen, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McAllen 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 McAllen. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Texas A&M University-San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 213.8 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,338
Avg net price $11,196/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 233.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,131
Avg net price $10,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 120

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Saint Edward's University

Austin, TX 278.6 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 81%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,826
Avg net price $25,578/yr
Tuition
In‑state$51,384
Out‑of‑state$51,384
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Houston-Clear Lake

Houston, TX 301.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,004
Avg net price $15,563/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 325.3 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,097
Avg net price $21,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

The Chicago School at Dallas

Plano, TX 477.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of North Texas

Denton, TX 487.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,010
Avg net price $15,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 138

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Applied Behavior Analysis Wages Near McAllen

McAllen is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area (BLS area code 32580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$65,370McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$76,100
Therapist, All Other$74,750TX statewide$87,020
Special Education Teacher, All Other$65,710TX statewide$76,496
Counselor, All Other$44,590McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$51,909

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.

McAllen at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population143,789Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,165Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other McAllen-Area Cities With Applied Behavior Analysis Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying applied behavior analysis-related roles near McAllen are: Therapist, All Other ($74,750), Special Education Teacher, All Other ($65,710), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($65,370). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pharr instead of McAllen?

Pharr, TX is 4.9 miles from McAllen 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 McAllen an affordable place to study applied behavior analysis?

McAllen’s median household income of $60,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McAllen while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 McAllen

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

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 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best ABA Schools in Texas: Online Programs (2026)