---
title: Is a Neurobiology and Neurosciences degree worth the debt?
cip: 2615
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Neurobiology and Neurosciences degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **85** colleges (85 of 85 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $28,675 ($30,228 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $21,351 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.75× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $23,194–$33,641 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $28,675 | $21,351 | 0.75× | 85 | 85/85 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA) | $43,562 | — |
| Brown University (RI) | $40,809 | $9,250 |
| Vassar College (NY) | $40,712 | $16,000 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York (NY) | $40,198 | $24,812 |
| University of St Thomas (MN) | $39,846 | $27,000 |
| Middlebury College (VT) | $39,735 | $11,900 |
| Connecticut College (CT) | $39,087 | $22,500 |
| Dartmouth College (NH) | $37,949 | $18,061 |
| Boston University (MA) | $37,633 | $24,325 |
| Trinity College (CT) | $37,188 | $24,022 |
| Rhode Island College (RI) | $36,502 | $20,784 |
| Harvard University (MA) | $36,334 | — |
| Bates College (ME) | $36,112 | — |
| Temple University (PA) | $35,780 | $25,668 |
| Lake Forest College (IL) | $35,544 | $27,000 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/neurobiology-and-neurosciences.jsonld` · `/education/fields/neurobiology-and-neurosciences.json`