Neurobiology and Neurosciences Degree

97 schools compared · Average earnings $32,455/yr

Students study the structure and function of the nervous system, including brain development, neural signaling, cognitive processes, and neurological diseases. Graduates typically pursue careers in neuroscience research, pharmaceutical development, neuroimaging, medical school, and the growing brain-computer interface industry. Neuroscience is one of the most exciting frontiers in science, with applications ranging from treating Alzheimer's to developing AI.

What Neurobiology and Neurosciences Graduates Do

Your degree in neurobiology opens doors to the lab, the classroom, and leadership. Many graduates begin as biological technicians, where your days are spent preparing samples, running assays, and maintaining sensitive equipment under a senior scientist’s direction. This hands-on experience is a common stepping stone to more advanced roles.

With further education, you could become a medical scientist, a high-growth path where you’ll design experiments to understand neurological diseases, analyze complex data, and write grant proposals to fund research. Successful scientists can advance to become natural sciences managers, overseeing entire research teams, setting project goals, and managing large budgets. Another growing option is teaching at the college level, where you'll develop curricula and mentor the next generation of scientists.

AI's impact on these careers is moderate but real. Expect tools to automate significant chunks of routine data analysis and lab protocols. The jobs aren't disappearing, but your day-to-day focus will shift from performing repetitive tasks to designing creative experiments, interpreting ambiguous results, and guiding overall research strategy.

Schools Offering
97
Avg Grad Earnings
$32,455/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
30/100
AI Automation Risk
High
53% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 37,400 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K$215K
8,500 +3.7% 50%
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
$100,590
$77K$134K
9,600 +8.7% 52%
Biological scientists, all other
$93,330
$68K$121K
4,800 +1.2% 49%
Biological science teachers, postsecondary
$83,460
$64K$125K
5,400 +7.3% 47%
Biological technicians
$52,000
$45K–$66K
9,100 +3.5% 42%
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K $215K
8,500 openings/yr +3.7% growth 50% AI risk
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
$100,590
$77K $134K
9,600 openings/yr +8.7% growth 52% AI risk
Biological scientists, all other
$93,330
$68K $121K
4,800 openings/yr +1.2% growth 49% AI risk
Biological science teachers, postsecondary
$83,460
$64K $125K
5,400 openings/yr +7.3% growth 47% AI risk
Biological technicians
$52,000
$45K–$66K
9,100 openings/yr +3.5% growth 42% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Neurobiology and Neurosciences

Top 20 of 97 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of New Hampshire at Manchester
Manchester, NH
44
42–45
$39,573/yr 9.4x
2 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH
42
40–43
$39,573/yr 7.6x
3 University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO
42
41–42
$35,980/yr 9.6x
4 University of Delaware
Newark, DE
42
42–42
$31,854/yr 11.7x
5 University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
42
42–42
$30,501/yr 13.5x
6 Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
42
43–43
$27,986/yr 25.2x
7 George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
42
43–43
$27,859/yr 15.1x
8 University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
41
38–41
$39,880/yr 2.6x
9 University of Nevada-Reno
Reno, NV
41
42–42
$30,991/yr 16.6x
10 Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
40
36–41
$46,993/yr 2.2x
11 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH
40
40–40
$33,094/yr 11.1x
12 Binghamton University
Vestal, NY
40
40–40
$25,266/yr 17.1x
13 University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA
39
39–39
$32,081/yr 10.4x
14 Northeastern University
Boston, MA
38
34–38
$43,894/yr 2.0x
15 Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
38
35–38
$39,011/yr 9.5x
16 University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE
37
38–38
$26,497/yr 17.1x
17 Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA
37
37–38
$22,865/yr 17.8x
18 University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
36
37–36
$29,765/yr 10.1x
19 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH
36
37–37
$29,638/yr 11.3x
20 Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
36
36–37
$25,202/yr 13.4x

Highest Earning Neurobiology and Neurosciences Programs

Schools where Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
Massachusetts Institute of Technology $48,125/yr 35
Fordham University $47,985/yr 35
Harvard University $46,993/yr 40
Macalester College $45,450/yr 34
Union College $44,927/yr 33
Trinity College $44,823/yr 34
Wellesley College $44,687/yr 33
Middlebury College $44,585/yr 33
Northeastern University $43,894/yr 38
Bowdoin College $43,373/yr 32

Best ROI for Neurobiology and Neurosciences

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Neurobiology and Neurosciences.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Brigham Young University 25.2x $27,986/yr 42
Georgia State University 17.8x $22,865/yr 37
Binghamton University 17.1x $25,266/yr 40
University of Nebraska at Omaha 17.1x $26,497/yr 37
University of Nevada-Reno 16.6x $30,991/yr 41
George Mason University 15.1x $27,859/yr 42
University of California-Los Angeles 13.5x $30,501/yr 42
Indiana University-Bloomington 13.4x $25,202/yr 36
Indiana University-Indianapolis 12.0x $30,984/yr 35
University of Washington-Seattle Campus 11.8x $23,464/yr 33
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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates earn?
Across 97 schools, Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates earn an average of $32,455 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $19,286 to $48,125 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Neurobiology and Neurosciences?
Neurobiology and Neurosciences is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 53% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Neurobiology and Neurosciences program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of New Hampshire at Manchester ranks #1 for Neurobiology and Neurosciences with a score of 44/100 and graduate earnings of $39,573/yr.
What's the outlook for a Neurobiology and Neurosciences degree?
On average, Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates earn 5.1x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →