Top Neuroscience Programs in the Midwest by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Neuroscience Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 21 Neuroscience programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, highest first. Indiana University-Bloomington leads the list with median earnings of $74,151 four years after completing, followed by Central Michigan University at $73,316 and Ohio State University-Main Campus at $68,480.
The gap between the top two programs is $835. Across the list, earnings range from $74,151 to $25,194, with a median of $58,046.
For 3 of the 21 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions make up 62% of the list, with 13 public and 8 private nonprofit programs. University of Illinois Chicago posts the lowest average net price at $10,974.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $74,151 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington reports $74,151 in median earnings of Neuroscience graduates four years after completing alongside an average net price of $16,264. | |||||
| 2 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $73,316 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University ranks 2nd on this list and shows a median federal debt of $25,000 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $68,480 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| With an admission rate of 61%, Ohio State University-Main Campus posts $68,480 in median earnings for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $66,868 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| University of St Thomas, a private nonprofit university in Saint Paul, records $66,868 in median earnings of Neuroscience graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $29,155. | |||||
| 5 | Carthage College · Kenosha, WI | $65,733 | $26,565 | $23,293 | 87.1% |
| Carthage College reports $65,733 in median earnings for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $27,000 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 6 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $65,458 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| University of Notre Dame admits 11% of applicants and its Neuroscience graduates earn a median of $65,458 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $59,568 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| Median earnings of $59,568 four years after completing coincide with an average net price of $16,778 at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. | |||||
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $58,824 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 8th on this list, with median earnings of $58,824 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Coe College · Cedar Rapids, IA | $58,716 | $18,745 | $11,479 | 64.0% |
| Coe College records a median federal debt of $27,000 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $58,716 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $58,373 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
| Loyola University Chicago reports $58,373 in median earnings of Neuroscience graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 82%. | |||||
| 11 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $58,046 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts $58,046 in median earnings for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $58,004 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus shows a median federal debt of $23,827 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed and an average net price of $25,648. | |||||
| 13 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $57,842 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Grand Valley State University reports $57,842 in median earnings for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,317. | |||||
| 14 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $56,869 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| With an admission rate of 77%, University of Illinois Chicago ranks 17th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $56,218 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis graduates who borrowed left with a median of $15,127 in federal loans among Neuroscience completers, and the program's earnings cohort numbered 56. | |||||
| 16 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $55,436 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor posts median earnings of $55,436 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $1,043 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE | $55,043 | $13,441 | $10,534 | 87.0% |
| Ranking 17th on this list, University of Nebraska at Omaha shows an admission rate of 87% and a median of $55,043 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $54,279 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| A private nonprofit university in Evanston, Northwestern University reports median earnings of $54,279 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH | $27,750 | $38,645 | $18,774 | 34.2% |
| Oberlin College ranks 1261st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $38,645. | |||||
| 20 | Augustana College · Rock Island, IL | $26,353 | $22,736 | $15,787 | 62.7% |
| With an admission rate of 63%, Augustana College posts median earnings of $26,353 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $25,194 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus reports an average net price of $5,098 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $25,194 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 21 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Indiana University-Bloomington and Central Michigan University is $835, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $48,957.
Related rankings
- Best Neuroscience Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Neuroscience Programs in the Northeast
- Best Neuroscience Programs in the South
- Best Neuroscience Programs in the West
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest