Best Neuroscience Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 87 Neuroscience programs in the United States by the median earnings of Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. Dartmouth College leads the list with median earnings of $143,067 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $143,067 to $15,552, with a median of $58,004. For 23 of the 87 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 37 public and 50 private nonprofit institutions. University of Illinois Chicago reports the lowest average net price on the page at $10,974.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st 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 | Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH | $143,067 | $29,519 | $41 | 5.4% |
| Dartmouth College reports $143,067 in median earnings for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $41 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 2 | Middlebury College · Middlebury, VT | $90,917 | $31,483 | $12,723 | 10.8% |
| Middlebury College ranks 2nd on this list, with an 11% admission rate and median federal debt of $11,900 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $89,203 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California posts $89,203 in median earnings for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing and sits 92nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 4 | King's College · Wilkes-Barre, PA | $83,705 | $23,093 | $17,283 | 93.1% |
| King's College shows an average net price of $23,093 and a 93% admission rate, with median earnings of $83,705 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH | $78,722 | $23,805 | $16,523 | 88.2% |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus, a public university in Durham, reports median federal debt of $23,250 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed and median earnings of $78,722 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA | $78,295 | $28,699 | -$3,012* | 5.4% |
| An admission rate of 5% and median earnings of $78,295 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing mark University of Pennsylvania, which draws a cohort of 132 graduates. | |||||
| 7 | Binghamton University · Vestal, NY | $77,478 | $21,620 | $12,171 | 38.6% |
| Binghamton University ranks 104th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $77,478 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $74,617 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| Northeastern University carries an average net price of $2,264 for families earning under $30,000 and median federal debt of $24,000 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 9 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $74,151 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington reports $74,151 in median earnings for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $16,264. | |||||
| 10 | Emory University · Atlanta, GA | $73,795 | $22,585 | $7,363 | 10.7% |
| Emory University ranks 10th on this list, with an 11% admission rate and median federal debt of $17,421 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $73,316 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University posts median earnings of $73,316 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $12,185 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | Duke University · Durham, NC | $73,140 | $29,612 | $735 | 5.7% |
| Duke University sits 78th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $73,140 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $72,910 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| University of San Diego reports median earnings of $72,910 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,586 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 14 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $71,942 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| A median federal debt of $20,547 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed coincides with a 14th position on this list for University of Colorado Boulder, a public university in Boulder. | |||||
| 15 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $70,244 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
| With an admission rate of 4%, Columbia University in the City of New York places 15th on this page and posts median earnings of $70,244 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $69,027 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz sits 16th on this list and reports an average net price of $17,890 alongside median earnings of $69,027 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Boston University · Boston, MA | $68,888 | $24,402 | $9,500 | 11.1% |
| Boston University ranks 170th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries a median federal debt of $24,325 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | Union College · Schenectady, NY | $68,666 | $34,561 | $11,776 | 43.9% |
| Union College reports median earnings of $68,666 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 31 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 19 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $68,546 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University admits 87% of applicants and lists median earnings of $68,546 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $68,480 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 20th on this list and reports an average net price of $4,885 for families earning under $30,000, alongside a cohort of 260 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 21 | Brandeis University · Waltham, MA | $68,179 | $35,736 | $13,363 | 40.5% |
| Brandeis University shows median earnings of $68,179 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing and carries a median federal debt of $26,000 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 22 | Trinity College · Hartford, CT | $67,115 | $34,832 | $11,054 | 29.3% |
| Trinity College ranks 503rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $34,832. | |||||
| 23 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $66,868 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| University of St Thomas admits 85% of applicants and carries a median federal debt of $27,000 among Neuroscience completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 24 | Barnard College · New York, NY | $66,787 | $28,800 | $11,600 | 8.8% |
| Barnard College reports median earnings of $66,787 for its Neuroscience graduates four years after completing and shows an admission rate of 9%. | |||||
| 25 | 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 an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
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 United States appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 23 of the 87 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. Dartmouth College reports $143,067, which is $52,150 above the $90,917 posted by Middlebury College.
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