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# Top Neuroscience Programs in the Midwest by Earnings (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Regional list from [Best Neuroscience Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs/)

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](/school/indiana-university-bloomington/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $74,151 four years after completing, followed by [Central Michigan University](/school/central-michigan-university/majors/) at $73,316 and [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) 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

21 schools in list order

| 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](/school/indiana-university-bloomington/majors/) reports [$74,151 in median earnings](/school/indiana-university-bloomington/outcomes/) 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](/school/central-michigan-university/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list and shows a [median federal debt of $25,000](/school/central-michigan-university/cost/) 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%](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/admissions/), [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) 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](/school/carthage-college/majors/) reports [$65,733 in median earnings](/school/carthage-college/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-notre-dame/majors/) [admits 11% of applicants](/school/university-of-notre-dame/admissions/) 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](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/cost/) at [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/). |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $58,824 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) ranks 8th on this list, with [median earnings of $58,824](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/outcomes/) 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](/school/loyola-university-chicago/majors/) reports [$58,373 in median earnings](/school/loyola-university-chicago/outcomes/) 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](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) [ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/michigan-state-university/) 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](/school/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus/majors/) shows a [median federal debt of $23,827](/school/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus/cost/) 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](/school/grand-valley-state-university/majors/) reports [$57,842 in median earnings](/school/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/) 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%](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/admissions/), [University of Illinois Chicago](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/majors/) 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](/school/indiana-university-indianapolis/majors/) graduates who borrowed left with a [median of $15,127](/school/indiana-university-indianapolis/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) posts [median earnings of $55,436](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha/majors/) shows an [admission rate of 87%](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha/admissions/) 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](/school/northwestern-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $54,279](/school/northwestern-university/outcomes/) for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. |
| 19 | Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH | $27,750 | $38,645 | $18,774 | 34.2% |
|  | [Oberlin College](/school/oberlin-college/majors/) [ranks 1261st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/oberlin-college/) 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%](/school/augustana-college/admissions/), [Augustana College](/school/augustana-college/majors/) 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](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) reports an [average net price of $5,098](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/cost/) 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](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Neuroscience Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Neuroscience Programs in the South](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Neuroscience Programs in the West](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs-in-the-west/)
-   Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
-   Biological Sciences Colleges in the Midwest