Neurobiology and Neurosciences: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 65 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Neurobiology and Neurosciences pays
Career outlook for Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates
The job market for the occupations Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | 165,300 | +8.7% | $100,590 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Natural sciences managers | 104,300 | +3.7% | $161,180 | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological technicians | 82,700 | +3.5% | $52,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | 66,000 | +7.3% | $83,460 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | 63,700 | +1.2% | $93,330 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Neurobiology and Neurosciences vs similar majors
How Neurobiology and Neurosciences stacks up against the closest fields in Biological & Biomedical Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences Biological & Biomedical Sciences · this major | Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Pharmacology and Toxicology | Biotechnology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 69 B | 86 A | 91 A | 87 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $68,622 | $122,658 | $92,541 | $89,459 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $31,266 | $82,737 | $51,581 | $63,581 |
| ROI vs cost | +197% | +824% | +493% | +437% |
| Typical debt | $20,497 | $33,122 | $22,369 | $29,545 |
| Colleges offering it | 65 | 11 | 5 | 23 |
Neurobiology and Neurosciences earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | Master's | $89,197 | — | +1,451% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $79,689 | $16,674 | +1,013% | Strong return |
| 3 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA | Associate's | $88,888 | $19,727 | +920% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Delaware Newark, DE | Associate's | $81,434 | $25,000 | +715% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Associate's | $94,630 | $12,000 | +704% | Strong return |
| 6 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Associate's | $75,342 | — | +696% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Associate's | $69,515 | $19,000 | +669% | Strong return |
| 8 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | Associate's | $65,663 | $15,687 | +647% | Strong return |
| 9 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Associate's | $68,761 | $17,500 | +628% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH | Associate's | $65,560 | $23,250 | +623% | Strong return |
| 11 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | Associate's | $70,739 | $16,000 | +586% | Strong return |
| 12 | King's College Wilkes-Barre, PA | Associate's | $83,115 | $27,000 | +580% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Associate's | $67,848 | $12,917 | +568% | Strong return |
| 14 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | Associate's | $68,183 | $12,344 | +551% | Strong return |
| 15 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | Associate's | $77,489 | $24,812 | +522% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Associate's | $70,275 | $21,741 | +509% | Strong return |
| 17 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Associate's | $70,736 | $12,750 | +509% | Strong return |
| 18 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY | Associate's | $75,089 | $19,500 | +498% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Associate's | $64,696 | $13,264 | +497% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA | Associate's | $84,851 | $25,000 | +471% | Strong return |
| 21 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA | Associate's | $65,261 | $19,000 | +470% | Strong return |
| 22 | Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN | Associate's | $67,819 | $22,802 | +459% | Strong return |
| 23 | Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA | Associate's | $82,259 | $26,280 | +453% | Strong return |
| 24 | Lafayette College Easton, PA | Associate's | $82,698 | — | +447% | Strong return |
| 25 | Brown University Providence, RI | Associate's | $73,645 | $9,250 | +433% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.