undergradly.
Major · Psychology

A research-track bachelor’s for students aiming at the brain-behavior PhD

Behavioral Neuroscience studies the biological bases of behavior — neuroanatomy, neural development, psychopharmacology, and the physiology of cognition. About 1,302 degrees are awarded each year across 30 colleges, and most graduates use the credential as a launchpad into PhD, PsyD, or medical training rather than as a terminal degree.

Schools offering
30
Annual completions
1,302
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$59k

About this major

Behavioral Neuroscience studies the biological bases of behavior and psychological functioning. Coursework spans functional neuroanatomy, neural system development, biochemical regulation of neural activity, psychopharmacology, the physiology of cognition and perception, and the physiological bases of psychopathology, alongside specialized experimental design and research methods. Expect a heavy load of biology, chemistry, and statistics on top of the psychology core, with lab sections in animal behavior, neuroimaging, or electrophysiology.

The major rewards students who already enjoy quantitative and experimental work and who want to understand behavior from the cellular level up rather than primarily through clinical or social frameworks. Comfort with chemistry, biology, and statistics matters more here than in a general psychology BA. Self-direction also matters: undergraduate research experience is close to a prerequisite for the graduate programs most graduates target, so the students who thrive tend to spend two or three semesters working in a faculty lab.

On the destination side, 1,302 bachelor’s degrees are awarded each year across just 30 colleges, with completions concentrated at UCLA (420), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (326), and UC Santa Barbara (158). The careers in the packet — psychologists, all other ($117,580 median, master’s typical), biological scientists, all other ($93,330), and psychology teachers, postsecondary ($80,330, doctorate typical) — sit above the bachelor’s-level five-year median of $58,998, a gap that reflects how much of the wage in this field is tied to graduate credentials rather than the undergraduate degree itself.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
Biological scientists, all other $93k +1.2% Bachelor's degree
Psychologists, all other $118k +4.3% Master's degree
Psychology teachers, postsecondary $80k +3.6% Doctoral or professional degree
Life scientists, all other $88k +3.7% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$59k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$49k

Bachelor's

$59k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you already prefer biology, chemistry, and statistics to writing-heavy social-science coursework, if the idea of spending two or three undergraduate semesters in a faculty research lab sounds like the point of the degree rather than the cost, if you’re comfortable treating the bachelor’s as step one of a longer plan toward a PhD, PsyD, MD, or industry research role, and if you read the $58,998 bachelor’s five-year median as a placeholder while you complete additional training rather than as your career number.

Think twice if you want clinical practice from a four-year degree — psychologists, all other lists a master’s as typical at $117,580 and clinical or neuropsychology work in practice requires a doctorate plus licensure. Reconsider if statistics and chemistry feel like obstacles rather than tools, since this major leans further into both than the general psychology BA does. And if a smaller, less competitive lab cohort matters, weigh the concentration carefully: with 30 colleges nationally and UCLA alone awarding 420 of the 1,302 annual degrees, program access and faculty research fit should drive the school choice.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Behavioral Neuroscience

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 0 420 420
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 0 326 326
University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 0 158 158
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL 0 99 99
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO 0 68 68
Florida International University Miami, FL 0 48 48
Wesleyan University Middletown, CT 0 29 29
Villanova University Villanova, PA 0 22 22
Centre College Danville, KY 0 21 21
University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL 0 20 20
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Psychology, General

133,179 completions/yr

Research and Experimental Psychology, Other

11,877 completions/yr

Neuroscience

9,625 completions/yr

Criminology

8,556 completions/yr

Experimental Psychology

3,493 completions/yr

Nutrition Sciences

3,240 completions/yr

Behavioral Sciences

2,603 completions/yr

Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

2,089 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Behavioral Neuroscience majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework runs heavier in biology, chemistry, and statistics than a general psychology BA. The CIP definition lists functional neuroanatomy, neural system development, biochemical regulation, psychopharmacology, memory storage and retrieval, the physiology of cognition and perception, and the physiological bases of psychopathology. Expect lab sections in animal behavior, EEG or fMRI methods, and experimental design, alongside formal training in research methods and statistics.
Do I need a graduate degree to work in this field?
For most of the careers tied to this major, yes. Psychology teachers, postsecondary list a doctoral or professional degree as the typical credential at $80,330 median; psychologists, all other list a master’s at $117,580 — and clinical or neuropsychology roles in practice require a PhD or PsyD plus licensure. Bachelor’s-only graduates typically work as research assistants, lab technicians, clinical research coordinators, or behavioral health technicians while applying to graduate programs.
How does this compare to a Psychology, General degree?
Psychology, General awards 133,179 degrees a year; Behavioral Neuroscience awards 1,302 across just 30 colleges. The smaller scale reflects a more selective, lab-focused, biology-heavy curriculum rather than a boutique cohort. Programs concentrate at research universities — UCLA (420 completions), Michigan-Ann Arbor (326), and UC Santa Barbara (158) lead — where access to working neuroscience labs is part of the value of the degree.
What does five-year median earnings of $58,880 actually reflect?
It reflects a cohort still in or just out of graduate school. The bachelor’s-level five-year median of $58,998 sits well below the $93,330–$117,580 range listed for the senior research and psychologist roles in the data, because most of those titles require additional training the graduate hasn’t completed yet. Earnings climb meaningfully only after a master’s, PhD, PsyD, MD, or a pivot into industry research, pharma, or data science.
What if I like the science but not the academic research path?
Several pivots use the same coursework. Pre-med tracks draw on the biology and chemistry sequences; pharma and biotech hire bachelor’s-level graduates as clinical research coordinators or scientific liaisons; data science and UX research recruit students with strong statistics and experimental-design training. Related majors like Neuroscience (9,625 completions) and Experimental Psychology (3,493) sit closest in content, while Psychology, General offers a broader, less science-heavy alternative.
Where are the strongest Behavioral Neuroscience programs?
Completions concentrate sharply at large public research universities. UCLA awards 420 bachelor’s degrees a year, more than half of the top ten combined; Michigan-Ann Arbor adds 326 and UC Santa Barbara 158. Florida Atlantic (99), Colorado Denver–Anschutz (68), and Florida International (48) anchor the next tier, with Wesleyan (29), Villanova (22), and Centre College (21) representing smaller liberal-arts options. Lab access and faculty research output should weigh heavily in school choice.