Best Neuroscience Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Neuroscience Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 15 Neuroscience programs in the West by median earnings of Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Southern California leads the list at 1st with median earnings of $89,203 four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $89,203 to $24,035, with a median of $57,769. For 2 of the 15 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 12 of the 15 schools, or 80% of the list. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.
University of California-San Diego posts the lowest average net price, at $12,470.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $89,203 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California reports median earnings of $89,203 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 10%. | |||||
| 2 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $72,910 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of San Diego left with a median of $22,940 in federal loans, while the school's Neuroscience completers earned a median of $72,910 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $71,942 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| University of Colorado Boulder ranks 3rd on this list and posts an average net price of $25,346. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $69,027 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| With a cohort of 62 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of California-Santa Cruz shows median earnings of $69,027 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $63,720 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis sits 18th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $63,720 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $61,799 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| With median earnings of $61,799 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, University of California-San Diego holds the lowest average net price on the page at $12,470. | |||||
| 7 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $60,065 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Provo, Brigham Young University reports an average net price of $10,444 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 8 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $57,769 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| University of Nevada-Reno reports median earnings of $57,769 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, equal to the list median of $57,769. | |||||
| 9 | Washington State University · Pullman, WA | $55,687 | $14,971 | $7,074 | 86.6% |
| Washington State University admits 87% of applicants and its Neuroscience graduates earned a median of $55,687 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $55,404 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles posts an admission rate of 9% and an average net price of $5,579 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 11 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $52,571 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| A public university in Tucson, University of Arizona reports median earnings of $52,571 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, with 124 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $51,865 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside ranks 31st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Neuroscience graduates earned a median of $51,865 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA | $51,508 | $21,193 | $12,915 | 93.3% |
| Western Washington University ranks 13th on this list, reporting median earnings of $51,508 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $24,035 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine shows an average net price of $8,123 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 15 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $24,035 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| Placing 72nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of Washington-Seattle Campus admits 39% of applicants. | |||||
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 West appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 15 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 spread from University of Southern California to the lowest-ranked program is $65,168, and the gap between University of Southern California and University of San Diego is $16,293.
Related rankings
- Best Neuroscience Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the West
- Top Neuroscience Programs in the Midwest by Earnings
- Best Neuroscience Programs in the Northeast
- Best Neuroscience Programs in the South
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the West for Social Mobility