Best Behavioral Health Science Schools Near Gainesville, FL

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Gainesville, Florida is home to about 143,611 residents. Median household income is $45,611 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Gainesville, FL metro area, the top-earning behavioral health science-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Behavioral Health Science Schools to Gainesville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer behavioral health science programs near Gainesville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gainesville 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 Gainesville. 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

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 133.0 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Eastern Florida State College

Melbourne, FL 145.5 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
63.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,195
Avg net price $6,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,496
Out‑of‑state$9,739
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

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

#3

Lynn University

Boca Raton, FL 265.0 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
38.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,006
Avg net price $44,089/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,480
Out‑of‑state$44,480
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 39

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

#4

University of West Florida

Pensacola, FL 297.3 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,137
Avg net price $9,364/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL 301.4 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,328
Avg net price $37,244/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida behavioral health science page.

Behavioral Health Science Wages Near Gainesville

Gainesville is part of the Gainesville, FL metro area (BLS area code 23540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$51,280Gainesville, FL$53,030
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$55,500Gainesville, FL$57,394
Social and Community Service Manager$76,800Gainesville, FL$79,421
Social and Human Service Assistant$40,980Gainesville, FL$42,378

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.

Gainesville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population143,611Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$45,611Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Gainesville-Area Cities With Behavioral Health Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying behavioral health science roles near Gainesville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying behavioral health science-related roles near Gainesville are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,800), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($55,500), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($51,280). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ocala instead of Gainesville?

Ocala, FL is 36.6 miles from Gainesville and has its own set of local behavioral health science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Gainesville an affordable place to study behavioral health science?

Gainesville’s median household income of $45,611 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gainesville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Behavioral Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Gainesville

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.

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