Neurobiology & Neurosciences

Types of Degrees Neurobiology & Neurosciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many neurobiology and neurosciences graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	8,341
Doctor’s Degree	756
Master’s Degree	310
Graduate Certificate	54
Undergraduate Certificate	29
Basic Certificate	13
Associate’s Degree	1

What Neurobiology & Neurosciences Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, neurobiology majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the 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

neurobiology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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

A major in neurobiology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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 & Neurosciences Major?

People with a neurobiology degree often go into the following careers:

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 & Neurosciences?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 8,341 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology and neurosciences in 2019, making it rank #59 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 66% 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	1,738
Black or African American	458
Hispanic or Latino	885
White	4,275
International Students	365
Other Races/Ethnicities	620

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Neurobiology. About 4.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Canada
• South Korea
• Taiwan

How Much Do Neurobiology & Neurosciences Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that neurobiology and neurosciences students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $31,000 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $28,225 (25th percentile) and $33,450 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in neurobiology, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Neurobiology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $83,600 to $97,340 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Neurobiology & Neurosciences

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.

Find out what the typical degree level is for neurobiology careers below.

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 & Neurosciences Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 323 schools offered some type of neurobiology and neurosciences program. 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)	4	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	9	0
Post-Baccalaureate	4	0
Master’s Degree	116	1
Post-Master’s	6	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	143	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Neurobiology & Neurosciences Worth It?

The median salary for a neurobiology grad is $96,420 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 142% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,130,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Neurobiology & Neurosciences

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

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	98,638
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	14,004
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	7,844
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	6,987
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	5,671
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	4,469
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)	3,646
Biotechnology	3,591
Zoology	2,974
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics	2,404
Genetics	1,326
Pharmacology & Toxicology	1,148
Botany/Plant Biology	684
Molecular Medicine	71

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.