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# Best Neuroscience Programs in the South (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

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

This page ranks the 16 Neuroscience programs in the South by median earnings of Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. [Emory University](/school/emory-university/majors/) leads the list at $73,795, followed closely by [Duke University](/school/duke-university/majors/) at $73,140, a gap of just $655.

Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $73,795 to $18,771, with a median of $57,666. For 2 of the 16 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

The list includes 7 public and 9 private nonprofit institutions. The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.

Vanderbilt University posts the lowest average net price at $15,846, while [George Mason University](/school/george-mason-university/majors/) has the highest admission rate, admitting 87% of applicants.

## The ranked list

16 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Emory University · Atlanta, GA | $73,795 | $22,585 | $7,363 | 10.7% |
|  | [Emory University](/school/emory-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $73,795](/school/emory-university/outcomes/) for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | Duke University · Durham, NC | $73,140 | $29,612 | $735 | 5.7% |
|  | [Duke University](/school/duke-university/majors/) admits just 6% of applicants and its Neuroscience graduates earn a [median of $73,140](/school/duke-university/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 3 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $68,546 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
|  | A public university in Fairfax, [George Mason University](/school/george-mason-university/majors/) [ranks 33rd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/george-mason-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 4 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $65,124 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) posts [median earnings of $65,124](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/outcomes/) for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 27%. |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $59,714 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $21,500](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/), which reports $59,714 in median earnings for its Neuroscience completers four years after completing. |
| 6 | Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN | $59,575 | $15,846 | $3,414 | 5.9% |
|  | [Vanderbilt University](/school/vanderbilt-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $15,846,](/school/vanderbilt-university/cost/) the lowest on the page, and its Neuroscience graduates earn a median of $59,575 four years after completing. |
| 7 | The University of Texas at Dallas · Richardson, TX | $59,498 | $18,267 | $12,814 | 65.1% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Dallas](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/majors/) reports [$59,498 in median earnings](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/outcomes/) for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, with 257 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 8 | University of Delaware · Newark, DE | $59,009 | $17,799 | $10,901 | 70.6% |
|  | [University of Delaware](/school/university-of-delaware/majors/) [ranks 242nd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-delaware/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $17,799. |
| 9 | Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD | $56,324 | $18,809 | $428 | 6.4% |
|  | [Johns Hopkins University](/school/johns-hopkins-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $428](/school/johns-hopkins-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000, and its Neuroscience graduates earn a median of $56,324 four years after completing. |
| 10 | Baylor University · Waco, TX | $53,927 | $41,104 | $22,024 | 51.3% |
|  | [Baylor University](/school/baylor-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $53,927](/school/baylor-university/outcomes/) for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, with a school-wide median federal debt of $23,000 across all borrowers who completed. |
| 11 | William & Mary · Williamsburg, VA | $52,161 | $19,096 | $3,106 | 34.1% |
|  | [William & Mary](/school/william-mary/majors/) [admits 34% of applicants](/school/william-mary/admissions/) and its Neuroscience graduates earn a median of $52,161 four years after completing. |
| 12 | Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA | $51,367 | $15,931 | $13,787 | 55.4% |
|  | [Georgia State University](/school/georgia-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $51,367](/school/georgia-state-university/outcomes/) for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,931. |
| 13 | Saint Edward's University · Austin, TX | $50,936 | $25,578 | $20,799 | 81.4% |
|  | [Saint Edward's University](/school/saint-edwards-university/majors/) [admits 81% of applicants](/school/saint-edwards-university/admissions/) and reports an average net price of $20,799 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 14 | Tulane University of Louisiana · New Orleans, LA | $48,464 | $39,949 | $16,126 | 14.0% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $20,500](/school/tulane-university-of-louisiana/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Tulane University of Louisiana](/school/tulane-university-of-louisiana/majors/), and its Neuroscience completers earned $48,464 four years after completing. |
| 15 | Rhodes College · Memphis, TN | $26,739 | $28,585 | $15,770 | 50.4% |
|  | Rhodes College ranks 15th on this list and reports median earnings of $26,739 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. |
| 16 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $18,771 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Coral Gables, [University of Miami](/school/university-of-miami/majors/) has an [admission rate of 19%](/school/university-of-miami/admissions/) and an average net price of $37,244. |

## 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 South appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 16 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 Emory University and Duke University is $655, and the spread from Emory University to the bottom of the list reaches $55,024.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Neuroscience Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/)
-   [Top Neuroscience Programs in the Midwest by Earnings](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Neuroscience Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Neuroscience Programs in the West](/rankings/best-neuroscience-programs-in-the-west/)
-   Biological Sciences Colleges in the South for Social Mobility
-   Biological Sciences Colleges in the South