Best Neuroscience Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)
These are the top schools offering Neuroscience, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Neuroscience graduate earns $32,455/yr across 97 schools.
What do Neuroscience graduates do? See career paths and salaries →Why a Career-Focused Public School Leads the Pack
The University of New Hampshire at Manchester's #1 rank isn't about prestige; it's about pragmatism. As a career-focused campus in the state's largest city, it prepares students for immediate entry into the local healthcare and biotech job market. This practical approach delivers solid early-career earnings of $39,573 per year. When combined with reasonable public tuition, the result is a powerful 9.4x return on investment that outshines nearly every other program in the country.
The Ivy League ROI Trap: Why Higher Prestige Can Mean Lower Value
It's shocking to see Harvard (#10) and Penn (#9) barely breaking a 2x return on investment, but the math is clear. While their graduates earn high salaries, the quarter-million-dollar tuition is a massive financial hurdle. In contrast, Brigham Young University (#6) delivers an incredible 25.2x ROI on the back of its extremely low tuition. Since many neuroscience grads pursue further education, avoiding crippling undergraduate debt is a critical strategy, making high-value public schools or low-cost privates the smarter financial bet.
AI Won't Steal Your Job, It Will Change Your Job Description
The 53% AI risk score across all programs seems alarming, but it doesn't signal the end of neuroscientists. It signals the end of routine tasks. AI will increasingly handle repetitive data analysis and lab protocols, meaning your future value won't be in running tests, but in designing them. Your most important skills will be creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to interpret ambiguous results—abilities that automation can't replicate. This degree is becoming less about technical execution and more about true scientific discovery.
The Public Powerhouse: State Schools Dominate the Rankings
The fact that 16 of our top 20 programs are public universities is the single most important trend in this ranking. Flagship state schools like UCLA (#2) and CU Boulder (#3) offer access to world-class research facilities and robust academic programs at a fraction of the cost of elite private competitors. This financial advantage is why they consistently produce graduates with both strong job prospects and a healthy return on their educational investment, providing the most reliable pathway for aspiring neuroscientists.
Leading the field for Neuroscience
The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 97 programs below.
All Neuroscience Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
University of New Hampshire at Manchester
Manchester, NH · Public
|
44
42–45
|
$39,573/yr | 9.4x |
| 2 |
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
|
42
42–42
|
$30,501/yr | 13.5x |
| 3 |
University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO · Public
|
42
41–42
|
$35,980/yr | 9.6x |
| 4 |
University of Delaware
Newark, DE · Public
|
42
42–42
|
$31,854/yr | 11.7x |
| 5 |
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH · Public
|
42
40–43
|
$39,573/yr | 7.6x |
| 6 |
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT · Private nonprofit
|
42
43–43
|
$27,986/yr | 25.2x |
| 7 |
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · Public
|
42
43–43
|
$27,859/yr | 15.1x |
| 8 |
University of Nevada-Reno
Reno, NV · Public
|
41
42–42
|
$30,991/yr | 16.6x |
| 9 |
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit
|
41
38–41
|
$39,880/yr | 2.6x |
| 10 |
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit
|
40
36–41
|
$46,993/yr | 2.2x |
| 11 |
Binghamton University
Vestal, NY · Public
|
40
40–40
|
$25,266/yr | 17.1x |
| 12 |
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH · Public
|
40
40–40
|
$33,094/yr | 11.1x |
| 13 |
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public
|
39
39–39
|
$32,081/yr | 10.4x |
| 14 |
Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
|
38
34–38
|
$43,894/yr | 2.0x |
| 15 |
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA · Public
|
38
35–38
|
$39,011/yr | 9.5x |
| 16 |
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA · Public
|
37
37–38
|
$22,865/yr | 17.8x |
| 17 |
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE · Public
|
37
38–38
|
$26,497/yr | 17.1x |
| 18 |
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public
|
36
37–36
|
$29,765/yr | 10.1x |
| 19 |
Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN · Public
|
36
36–37
|
$25,202/yr | 13.4x |
| 20 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public
|
36
37–37
|
$29,638/yr | 11.3x |
| 21 |
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · Public
|
35
35–36
|
$30,984/yr | 12.0x |
| 22 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit
|
35
31–36
|
$48,125/yr | 1.0x |
| 23 |
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton, MA · Private nonprofit
|
35
32–35
|
$39,842/yr | 2.0x |
| 24 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
|
35
35–35
|
$28,441/yr | 9.7x |
| 25 |
Fordham University
Bronx, NY · Private nonprofit
|
35
31–36
|
$47,985/yr | 0.9x |
| 26 |
Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public
|
35
34–36
|
$37,612/yr | 8.4x |
| 27 |
Trinity College
Hartford, CT · Private nonprofit
|
34
30–34
|
$44,823/yr | 0.7x |
| 28 |
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI · Public
|
34
35–35
|
$28,220/yr | 10.4x |
| 29 |
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit
|
34
30–35
|
$45,450/yr | 0.8x |
| 30 |
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA · Public
|
34
33–34
|
$34,496/yr | 5.2x |
| 31 |
University of San Diego
San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit
|
33
33–34
|
$33,641/yr | 2.8x |
| 32 |
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit
|
33
31–33
|
$38,063/yr | 1.9x |
| 33 |
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · Public
|
33
34–34
|
$26,074/yr | 10.4x |
| 34 |
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA · Private nonprofit
|
33
30–34
|
$44,687/yr | 0.7x |
| 35 |
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · Private nonprofit
|
33
30–34
|
$41,673/yr | 1.7x |
| 36 |
Union College
Schenectady, NY · Private nonprofit
|
33
29–34
|
$44,927/yr | 1.5x |
| 37 |
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT · Private nonprofit
|
33
30–34
|
$44,585/yr | 0.7x |
| 38 |
Washington State University
Pullman, WA · Public
|
33
34–33
|
$28,316/yr | 10.5x |
| 39 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
|
33
33–34
|
$23,464/yr | 11.8x |
| 40 |
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
|
32
33–33
|
$25,460/yr | 10.6x |
| 41 |
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · Private nonprofit
|
32
29–33
|
$43,373/yr | 0.7x |
| 42 |
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
|
32
30–33
|
$39,093/yr | 1.8x |
| 43 |
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public
|
32
33–33
|
$27,183/yr | 9.1x |
| 44 |
University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Public
|
31
30–32
|
$19,286/yr | 10.5x |
| 45 |
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA · Public
|
31
32–32
|
$25,034/yr | 9.9x |
| 46 |
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit
|
31
28–32
|
$40,867/yr | 0.9x |
| 47 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
|
31
31–32
|
$23,468/yr | 9.0x |
| 48 |
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY · Private nonprofit
|
31
28–32
|
$41,752/yr | 0.5x |
| 49 |
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public
|
31
30–32
|
$34,820/yr | 6.5x |
| 50 |
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT · Public
|
31
31–32
|
$34,547/yr | 6.1x |
| 51 |
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit
|
30
27–31
|
$39,967/yr | 0.6x |
| 52 |
Duke University
Durham, NC · Private nonprofit
|
30
29–31
|
$37,208/yr | 1.8x |
| 53 |
Emmanuel College
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
|
29
27–30
|
$39,006/yr | 1.1x |
| 54 |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Public
|
29
30–30
|
$27,775/yr | 6.4x |
| 55 |
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI · Public
|
29
29–29
|
$30,172/yr | 9.7x |
| 56 |
The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, TX · Public
|
29
30–30
|
$25,395/yr | 9.1x |
| 57 |
Carthage College
Kenosha, WI · Private nonprofit
|
29
30–30
|
$29,454/yr | 3.9x |
| 58 |
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY · Public
|
28
28–29
|
$33,030/yr | 5.2x |
| 59 |
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofit
|
28
26–29
|
$38,387/yr | 0.4x |
| 60 |
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI · Public
|
28
28–28
|
$32,644/yr | 4.6x |
| 61 |
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private nonprofit
|
28
28–29
|
$33,893/yr | 1.8x |
| 62 |
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA · Private nonprofit
|
28
28–28
|
$29,250/yr | 2.4x |
| 63 |
Westminster University
Salt Lake City, UT · Private nonprofit
|
28
27–29
|
$37,735/yr | 1.3x |
| 64 |
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit
|
27
26–28
|
$37,246/yr | 0.4x |
| 65 |
Smith College
Northampton, MA · Private nonprofit
|
27
25–27
|
$36,727/yr | 0.5x |
| 66 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
|
27
28–28
|
$31,687/yr | 6.1x |
| 67 |
University of St Thomas
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit
|
26
25–27
|
$36,059/yr | 0.7x |
| 68 |
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · Public
|
26
26–26
|
$30,956/yr | 4.8x |
| 69 |
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private nonprofit
|
26
26–27
|
$33,529/yr | 1.7x |
| 70 |
Rhodes College
Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit
|
26
25–26
|
$35,556/yr | 0.6x |
| 71 |
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit
|
25
24–26
|
$35,334/yr | 0.3x |
| 72 |
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL · Private nonprofit
|
24
24–25
|
$34,069/yr | 2.0x |
| 73 |
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH · Private nonprofit
|
24
24–25
|
$34,593/yr | 0.3x |
| 74 |
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO · Public
|
23
23–23
|
$27,413/yr | 4.3x |
| 75 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
|
23
24–24
|
$29,081/yr | 3.7x |
| 76 |
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofit
|
22
23–23
|
$32,647/yr | 0.4x |
| 77 |
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA · Private nonprofit
|
22
21–23
|
$36,178/yr | 1.3x |
| 78 |
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit
|
21
22–22
|
$24,615/yr | -0.0x |
| 79 |
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofit
|
21
21–21
|
$28,108/yr | 1.8x |
| 80 |
Barnard College
New York, NY · Private nonprofit
|
21
22–22
|
$24,569/yr | -0.1x |
| 81 |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public
|
21
21–22
|
$22,183/yr | 5.2x |
| 82 |
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit
|
20
21–21
|
$30,259/yr | 0.2x |
| 83 |
The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH · Private nonprofit
|
20
20–20
|
$29,942/yr | 0.3x |
| 84 |
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public
|
19
19–20
|
$21,818/yr | 2.8x |
| 85 |
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA · Private nonprofit
|
19
19–19
|
$32,397/yr | 1.2x |
| 86 |
Drew University
Madison, NJ · Private nonprofit
|
19
20–20
|
$28,881/yr | 0.6x |
| 87 |
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public
|
19
18–20
|
$21,138/yr | 2.9x |
| 88 |
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit
|
19
20–20
|
$25,830/yr | 1.8x |
| 89 |
Saint Edward's University
Austin, TX · Private nonprofit
|
19
20–20
|
$29,418/yr | 0.4x |
| 90 |
Emory University
Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit
|
18
19–19
|
$26,663/yr | 1.7x |
| 91 |
North Central College
Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit
|
18
18–18
|
$26,908/yr | 0.5x |
| 92 |
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit
|
17
18–18
|
$26,251/yr | 0.3x |
| 93 |
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit
|
17
16–17
|
$22,270/yr | 1.6x |
| 94 |
New York University
New York, NY · Private nonprofit
|
17
17–18
|
$25,506/yr | 1.7x |
| 95 |
University of Scranton
Scranton, PA · Private nonprofit
|
17
17–18
|
$25,057/yr | 2.0x |
| 96 |
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit
|
16
15–16
|
$22,459/yr | 0.1x |
| 97 |
Baylor University
Waco, TX · Private nonprofit
|
13
14–14
|
$24,100/yr | 1.5x |
Frequently asked
What is the best school for Neuroscience?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, University of New Hampshire at Manchester ranks #1 for Neuroscience with a score of 44/100 and graduate earnings of $39,573/yr.
How much do Neuroscience graduates earn?
Across 97 schools, Neuroscience graduates earn an average of $32,455/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $48,125/yr.
Is Neuroscience a good major for AI resistance?
Neuroscience has an average AI task exposure of 53%, rated "High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.