Neurobiology

Types of Degrees Neurobiology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many neurobiology & neurosciences graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	11,367
Doctor’s Degree	822
Master’s Degree	513
Basic Certificate	89
Graduate Certificate	80
Undergraduate Certificate	27
Associate Degree	5

What Neurobiology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to neurobiology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Neurobiology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills for Neurobiology Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to neurobiology:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Neurobiology Majors

As you progress with your neurobiology degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Neurobiology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with neurobiology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	13.4%	$84,810
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Neurobiology?

Neurobiology & Neurosciences runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #50 out of all the undergraduate majors we track. In 2021, about 10,308 graduates completed their bachelor’s degree in this field. The major attracts more women than men. About 71% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of neurobiology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2,588
Black or African American	659
Hispanic or Latino	1,386
White	5,396
International Students	493
Other Races/Ethnicities	845

Geographic Diversity

Neurobiology appeals to people across the globe. About 4.3% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Neurobiology

Some degrees associated with neurobiology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to neurobiology have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	25.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	14.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.0%
Doctoral Degree	25.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	26.4%

Online Neurobiology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	4	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	2	0
Bachelor’s Degree	13	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	116	1
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	144	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Neurobiology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to neurobiology.

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	103,883
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	14,354
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	10,453
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	9,123
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	6,274
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	4,815
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)	4,637
Biotechnology	3,836
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics	3,505
Zoology	3,246
Genetics	1,703
Pharmacology & Toxicology	1,179
Botany/Plant Biology	743
Molecular Medicine	130

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.