MAJORS · 39 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a neuroscience degree worth it?
Part of Life Sciences and Biology — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$145,921. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$145,921
across 96 bachelor’s programs · 5,891 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$168K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$57K ⟷ +$278K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
28.5%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
41
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$93K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$127K
Questions
- Is a neuroscience degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 96 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Neuroscience is +$145,921 and the median is +$167,616. 28.5% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$56,703 and +$278,071.
- How long until a neuroscience degree pays off?
- Among Neuroscience programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 41 (FREOPP 2021). 28.5% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a neuroscience major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Neuroscience graduates span −$56,703 to +$278,071 — a +$335K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Neuroscience: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/neuroscience