List of All U.S. Colleges with a Neuroscience Major
Whether you’re a STEM or humanities person, loved or hated the ending of Game of Thrones, or thought the dress was black and blue or gold and white, there’s one thing every person on the planet has in common: a brain.
If you want to learn more about this most mysterious organ, you’re not alone. Neuroscience, and related fields such as cognitive science, is one of the fastest growing areas of study in the world. And because everyone has a brain, the skills you learn as a neuroscience major will be applicable to just about any career you hope to pursue.
Overview of the Neuroscience Major
Neuroscience courses cover a wide range of topics, spanning from sensory perception to mental illness, animal cognition, and artificial intelligence.
While there will be some required classes, you will also have flexibility to choose electives in the areas of neuroscience you are most interested in. Keep in mind that you will have to complete more hard science courses than you would as a Psychology major. If that doesn’t appeal to you, Psych might be a better option.
Students who succeed in neuroscience courses typically have strong memorization skills, can synthesize complex information, and know how to self-advocate. As a neuroscience major, you will have to remember details like what certain neurotransmitters do, which ions open which channels, and the functions of various neural networks.
Neuroscience is also a rapidly growing field, and the research does not always point to an obvious answer. Particularly in more advanced classes, your professors will expect you to draw your own conclusions from contradictory data. Additionally, neuroscience classes are typically on the larger side, so you should feel confident identifying points of confusion and reaching out to the professor on your own, since you will receive less individual attention than you would in some other majors.
Because you can take neuroscience classes on many different topics, you will also be able to utilize your degree in just about any field. Some of the classes that will likely be required, such as behavioral neuroscience or social cognition, will teach you skills that apply to a wide range of jobs, from business to social work.
Neuroscience is also a popular major for pre-meds, along with chemistry and biology. You will still have to take classes in these other departments to fulfill your requirements, but majoring in neuroscience will give you a solid knowledge base going into med school.
What to Look for in a College as a Neuroscience Major
Course Offerings
If you already know there’s one area of neuroscience that you’re particularly interested in, you should check a school’s website to make sure they offer courses in that area before you decide to apply. For example, Harvard and MIT both offer specialized computational neuroscience majors, whereas Columbia’s program, while still incredibly strong and well-regarded, is more general.
If you don’t know how to find this information, we recommend simply googling “neuroscience courses school X,” rather than trying to navigate the school’s website. The first result will likely be either the major requirements or a list of all the neuroscience courses offered at that school, both of which will be useful resources for you.
Specialized Neuroscience Labs
One of the most exciting things about being a neuroscience major is that the field is expanding and evolving so rapidly. There are many fundamental questions that researchers have thus far been unable to answer, such as “Why does the brain need sleep?” or “What is the best treatment for depression?
As a neuroscience major, you may have the opportunity to help find the answers to some of these questions, whether you are working with a professor or participating in a study yourself. And if your school has labs dedicated to just neuroscience, you will have more chances to engage in research.
For example, Dartmouth offers extra credit in some neuroscience classes if you volunteer to participate in studies, and also has fellowships that pay students to conduct research during an off-term.
Extracurricular Lectures
Another great way to engage with the ongoing research in neuroscience is to listen to neuroscientists describe their work. These lectures will not only enhance what you have learned in the classroom, but also give you an idea of just how many ways there are to utilize a neuroscience major.
For example, Columbia’s fall lecture series included talks on subjects ranging from “Developmental Science through the Lens of the Events of 2020” (given by Columbia Professor Dima Amso) to “Past, Present, & Future of American Psychology’s Role in Changing the Current Structures that Support Racial Injustice” (given by Brown Professor Malik Boykin and Yale Professor Edmund Gordon).
List of All U.S. Colleges With a Neuroscience Major
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School |
Location |
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University of Alabama at Birmingham | UAB |
Birmingham, Alabama |
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Arizona State University | ASU |
Tempe, Arizona |
|
University of Arizona |
Tucson, Arizona |
|
Hendrix College |
Conway, Arkansas |
|
California Institute of Technology | Caltech |
Pasadena, California |
|
Claremont McKenna College | CMC |
Claremont, California |
|
University of California, Los Angeles | UCLA |
Los Angeles, California |
|
Pitzer College |
Claremont, California |
|
Pomona College |
Claremont, California |
|
University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside |
Riverside, California |
|
University of San Diego | USD |
San Diego, California |
|
Santa Clara University |
Santa Clara, California |
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University of California, Santa Cruz | UCSC |
Santa Cruz, California |
|
Scripps College |
Claremont, California |
|
University of Southern California | USC |
Los Angeles, California |
|
University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder |
Boulder, Colorado |
|
Colorado College |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
|
Colorado State University | CSU |
Fort Collins, Colorado |
|
Connecticut College |
New London, Connecticut |
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Fairfield University |
Fairfield, Connecticut |
|
Sacred Heart University | SHU |
Fairfield, Connecticut |
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Trinity College |
Hartford, Connecticut |
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American University |
Washington, D.C. |
|
University of Delaware |
Newark, Delaware |
|
University of Miami |
Coral Gables, Florida |
|
Nova Southeastern University | NSU |
Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
|
Agnes Scott College |
Decatur, Georgia |
|
Emory University |
Atlanta, Georgia |
|
Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Tech |
Atlanta, Georgia |
|
Georgia State University |
Atlanta, Georgia |
|
Mercer University |
Macon, Georgia |
|
Augustana College |
Rock Island, Illinois |
|
University of Chicago |
Chicago, Illinois |
|
University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC |
Chicago, Illinois |
|
DePaul University |
Chicago, Illinois |
|
Knox College |
Galesburg, Illinois |
|
Lake Forest College |
Lake Forest, Illinois |
|
Northwestern University |
Evanston, Illinois |
|
Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana |
Bloomington, Indiana |
|
DePauw University |
Greencastle, Indiana |
|
Earlham College |
Richmond, Indiana |
|
University of Notre Dame |
Notre Dame, Indiana |
|
Indiana University, Purdue University Indianapolis | IUPUI |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
|
University of Evansville |
Evansville, Indiana |
|
Coe College |
Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
|
Drake University |
Des Moines, Iowa |
|
University of Iowa |
Iowa City, Iowa |
|
Luther College |
Decorah, Iowa |
|
University of Kentucky |
Lexington, Kentucky |
|
Transylvania University |
Lexington, Kentucky |
|
Xavier University of Louisiana |
New Orleans, Louisiana |
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Bates College |
Lewiston, Maine |
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Bowdoin College |
Brunswick, Maine |
|
Colby College |
Waterville, Maine |
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Johns Hopkins University | JHU |
Baltimore, Maryland |
|
Amherst College |
Amherst, Massachusetts |
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Assumption University |
Worcester, Massachusetts |
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Boston University | BU |
Boston, Massachusetts |
|
Brandeis University |
Waltham, Massachusetts |
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Emmanuel College (Massachusetts) |
Boston, Massachusetts |
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Harvard University |
Cambridge, Massachusetts |
|
College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross |
Worcester, Massachusetts |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT |
Cambridge, Massachusetts |
|
Mount Holyoke College |
South Hadley, Massachusetts |
|
Northeastern University |
Boston, Massachusetts |
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Smith College |
Northampton, Massachusetts |
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Stonehill College |
Easton, Massachusetts |
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Wellesley College |
Wellesley, Massachusetts |
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Western New England University | WNE |
Springfield, Massachusetts |
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Wheaton College (Massachusetts) |
Norton, Massachusetts |
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Central Michigan University | CMU |
Mount Pleasant, Michigan |
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Eastern Michigan University | EMU |
Ypsilanti, Michigan |
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Grand Valley State University | GVSU |
Allendale, Michigan |
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University of Michigan |
Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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Michigan State University |
East Lansing, Michigan |
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Carleton College |
Northfield, Minnesota |
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Macalester College |
Saint Paul, Minnesota |
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University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
|
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) |
Saint Paul, Minnesota |
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Millsaps College |
Jackson, Mississippi |
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Saint Louis University | SLU |
Saint Louis, Missouri |
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Washington University in St. Louis | WashU |
Saint Louis, Missouri |
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University of Montana |
Missoula, Montana |
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Creighton University |
Omaha, Nebraska |
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University of Nebraska Omaha | UNO |
Omaha, Nebraska |
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University of Nevada, Reno |
Reno, Nevada |
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Dartmouth College |
Hanover, New Hampshire |
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University of New Hampshire | UNH |
Durham, New Hampshire |
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St. Anselm College |
Manchester, New Hampshire |
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Drew University |
Madison, New Jersey |
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Princeton University |
Princeton, New Jersey |
|
Adelphi University |
Garden City, New York |
|
Barnard College |
New York, New York |
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The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton |
Vestal, New York |
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Colgate University |
Hamilton, New York |
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Columbia University |
New York, New York |
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Fordham University |
Bronx, New York |
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The State University of New York at Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo |
Geneseo, New York |
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Hamilton College |
Clinton, New York |
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Marymount Manhattan College |
New York, New York |
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New York University | NYU |
New York, New York |
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University of Rochester |
Rochester, New York |
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Skidmore College |
Saratoga Springs, New York |
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St. Lawrence University |
Canton, New York |
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Syracuse University |
Syracuse, New York |
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Union College (New York) |
Schenectady, New York |
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Utica College |
Utica, New York |
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Vassar College |
Poughkeepsie, New York |
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Duke University |
Durham, North Carolina |
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High Point University |
High Point, North Carolina |
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC |
Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Baldwin Wallace University | BW |
Berea, Ohio |
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Bowling Green State University | BGSU |
Bowling Green, Ohio |
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University of Cincinnati |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
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Kenyon College |
Gambier, Ohio |
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Miami University |
Oxford, Ohio |
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University of Mount Union |
Alliance, Ohio |
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Oberlin College |
Oberlin, Ohio |
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Ohio University |
Athens, Ohio |
|
Ohio State University | OSU |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Ohio Wesleyan University |
Delaware, Ohio |
|
College of Wooster |
Wooster, Ohio |
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Reed College |
Portland, Oregon |
|
Willamette University |
Salem, Oregon |
|
Allegheny College |
Meadville, Pennsylvania |
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Bucknell University |
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania |
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Carnegie Mellon University | CMU |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
|
Cedar Crest College |
Allentown, Pennsylvania |
|
Dickinson College |
Carlisle, Pennsylvania |
|
Franklin and Marshall College | F&M |
Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
|
Lafayette College |
Easton, Pennsylvania |
|
Lehigh University |
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
|
Lycoming College |
Williamsport, Pennsylvania |
|
Moravian University |
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
|
Muhlenberg College |
Allentown, Pennsylvania |
|
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|
University of Pittsburgh | Pitt |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
|
University of Scranton |
Scranton, Pennsylvania |
|
Swarthmore College |
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania |
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Temple University |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|
Ursinus College |
Collegeville, Pennsylvania |
|
Washington and Jefferson College | W&J |
Washington, Pennsylvania |
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Westminster College (Pennsylvania) |
New Wilmington, Pennsylvania |
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Brown University |
Providence, Rhode Island |
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Furman University |
Greenville, South Carolina |
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Belmont University |
Nashville, Tennessee |
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Rhodes College |
Memphis, Tennessee |
|
Vanderbilt University |
Nashville, Tennessee |
|
University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin |
Austin, Texas |
|
Baylor University |
Waco, Texas |
|
University of Texas at Dallas | UT Dallas |
Richardson, Texas |
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Rice University |
Houston, Texas |
|
Texas Christian University | TCU |
Fort Worth, Texas |
|
Trinity University |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
Brigham Young University | BYU |
Provo, Utah |
|
Westminster College (Utah) |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
|
St. Michael’s College |
Colchester, Vermont |
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Middlebury College |
Middlebury, Vermont |
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Norwich University |
Northfield, Vermont |
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University of Vermont | UVM |
Burlington, Vermont |
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George Mason University |
Fairfax, Virginia |
|
Virginia Tech |
Blacksburg, Virginia |
|
Washington and Lee University |
Lexington, Virginia |
|
College of William & Mary | William & Mary |
Williamsburg, Virginia |
|
University of Washington |
Seattle, Washington |
|
Washington State University | WSU |
Pullman, Washington |
|
Western Washington University | WWU |
Bellingham, Washington |
|
Carthage College |
Kenosha, Wisconsin |
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Edgewood College |
Madison, Wisconsin |
|
Lawrence University |
Appleton, Wisconsin |
|
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin |
Madison, Wisconsin |
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?
Because most colleges receive thousands of applications more than the number of available spots, the most important thing is to be academically comparable to the average student at a school you are applying to.
This is because many schools use the Academic Index as an initial filter on applications, and if your test scores and GPA are well below those of the average accepted student, you are unlikely to be accepted. You can find out what the academic profile of an accepted class is at a particular school by googling “class profile school X,” or searching for each school’s Common Data Set. To make things easier, we also have this info in our free college search tool.
Once you get through this initial round of admissions, the more qualitative parts of your application, such as your extracurriculars and essays, become extremely important. While academics will be considered at every stage, as admissions officers make their final decisions about applicants they will also be thinking about what kind of roommate someone would be, or what they would add to their school’s community outside the classroom.
Potential Neuroscience majors may strengthen their profile by taking advanced STEM classes, and by participating in science- and health-related extracurriculars, like HOSA, Science Olympiad, and volunteering at a hospital.
If you are wondering what your chance of acceptance is at a specific school, we recommend using our free Chancing Engine. Unlike other admissions calculators, it accounts for both objective metrics, like GPA, and more qualitative parts of your profile, such as your extracurriculars.
