150 Best Colleges for Neuroscience

Johns Hopkins (often shortened to Hopkins or JHU) is a mid-sized research university in Baltimore, Maryland. The size of the grad programs dwarf the undergrad: Hopkins has about 5,300 undergrads but over 25,000 grad students. The university is divided across four campuses in Baltimore, but the two two undergrad divisions (the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering) are both located located on the Homewood campus (near the Charles Village neighborhood), which has a self-contained campus feel. Meanwhile, the School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and Bloomberg School of Public Health are located on the medical campus in East Baltimore, which is a bit grittier, while the Peabody Institute (which does offer Bachelors degrees in the arts) is in Baltimore’s artsy Mount Vernon neighborhood. Hopkins is world-renowned for research in medicine, public health, and biomedical engineering, and as many as 33% of Hopkins undergrads ultimately apply to medical school [LINK]. The student culture is academically-driven and can feel competitive, but that varies on your major (pre-med majors are notorious for being particularly competitive). Hopkins competes in Division III athletics.

Widely regarded as one of the top institutions in the nation for neuroscience, Hopkins offers several degree options for students interested in studying the nervous system and the mind. 

The BS in Neuroscience in JHU’s Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences is an innovative interdepartmental program offering a broad overview of the neuroscience field as well as more advanced training in one of four focus areas: cellular & molecular neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, or systems neuroscience. The Neuroscience major has a reputation at Hopkins for being academically tough and competitive.

The Department of Cognitive Science within the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences offers another way to study the mind and brain from multiple perspectives. The BA in Cognitive Science reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the subject and includes from the departments of Neuroscience, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Computer Science, and Philosophy. Courses cover five core areas: cognitive psychology & neuropsychology, linguistics, computational approaches to cognition, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind. Cognitive science majors distribute their coursework across all five areas, with special emphasis on two areas chosen as focal areas, providing both breadth and depth of knowledge.

The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, also housed within the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, offers a BA in Psychology and a minor in Psychology. The major or minor in Psychology spans the biological basis of behavior, cognitive and perceptual systems, social psychology, and psychopathology. Psychology majors are strongly urged to take advantage of diverse opportunities for research and collaboration within the departments of Biology, Biophysics, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Philosophy, Sociology; the Mind-Brain Institute; and departments in the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the Peabody Conservatory, and the Applied Physics Laboratory.

Students will also find significant overlap between Neuroscience and the Department of Biology, which offers both a BA in Biology and a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Because all of these degree programs are housed within the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS), it is fairly easy for students to explore multiple programs while deciding their major. With the exception of the Biomedical Engineering program (explained below), students do not officially declare their major until their second semester, and even then they can change their major. Hopkins encourages double-majoring, and many students add a second major in one of these related fields.

JHU’s elite BS in Biomedical Engineering (BME) program also offers a focus area in Neuroengineering. Note that the BS in Biomedical Engineering is the only program at Hopkins that requires direct admission. If you are not admitted as an incoming BME freshman, it is usually not possible to switch to the BME major later on. (The acceptance rate specifically for the BME major at Hopkins has been estimated to be around 1–2%.)

Hopkins tends to attract many students intending to pursue careers in medicine, and all of these majors will have a significant number of pre-med students. 

In addition, Hopkins offers a BS/MS program in Neuroscience, allowing students to earn a Master’s degree in addition to their Bachelor’s degree in 4, 4.5, or 5 years. The BS/MS program is structured to provide students with a genuine, intensive research experience in an area of systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, or cellular and molecular neuroscience. The principal aim of the BS/MS program is to allow students with a serious interest and commitment to pursuing research in a future MD, MD/PhD, or PhD program to spend a year conducting laboratory research full-time. The program covers 50% of the tuition cost for students once they have completed 8 semesters of undergrad coursework. Students can apply for the BS/MS program as a junior or a senior. 

Faculty and researchers studying neuroscience are in the departments of Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, Cognitive Science, and Psychological & Brain Sciences and in the Krieger Mind/Brain Institute. The latter is a freestanding institute at JHU investigating how the brain processes information about the world to generate perception, knowledge, memory, decision, and action.

Hopkins is one of the top twenty feeders for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Hopkins is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools.

4.6% admitted (1–2% BME) 750–780 Reading, 780–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

Unlike its East Coast elite peers, Stanford is a much younger university, founded in 1891. The university has about 7,800 undergrads and 9,700 grad students spread across seven schools on a large campus adjacent to Palo Alto, a suburb of San Francisco. Stanford has strong programs across all fields, but it’s most famous for STEM (especially computer science), benefitting from its location in the heart of Silicon Valley. Stanford competes in Division I athletics. Along with Duke, it’s one of the few top-tier private universities with fairly strong athletic teams. 

Stanford doesn’t have a “Neuroscience” degree, but students are able to study neuroscience from within a range of departments. Don’t let the lack of a standalone Neuroscience program fool you — Stanford’s programs in neuroscience rival those of Hopkins and could also be considered #1 in the nation. 

Stanford’s BS in Biology allows students to pursue a focus on Neuroscience. There is also the option for a minor in Biology, which could include classes in neurobiology and/or cognitive neuroscience.

Students more interested in the behavior side of Neuroscience might consider a BA in Psychology, where they can pursue either the Neuroscience or Cognitive Science tracks. The department also offers a minor in Psychology.

Stanford’s BS in Symbolic Systems is an interdisciplinary program for students interested in cognitive science, covering the intersection of CS, statistics, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology. Students can concentrate in neuroscience, cognitive science, as well as other SymSys-related fields. The department also offers a minor in Symbolic Systems.

The Program in Human Biology is another innovative interdisciplinary program at Stanford, created to study humans from biological, cultural, social, and behavioral perspectives. For the BS in Human Biology, coursework must be predominantly in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science and/or engineering fields, with a minority in the social sciences. For the BA in Human Biology, coursework must be predominantly in the social sciences and humanities, with a minority in the natural sciences. With either version of the major, students first complete the Human Biology Core, then design an individualized course of study with a unique Area of Concentration topic. There is ample opportunity for students to design their major to focus on areas of neuroscience.

Finally, Stanford’s Bioengineering Department offers both a BS in Bioengineering and a BS in Biomedical Computation. Research areas within biomedical engineering include neuroengineering.

All undergraduate students enter Stanford with their majors undeclared. Students can declare their major anytime during their first or second year and need to have declared by spring quarter of their second year. That means that incoming students at Stanford are free to explore these different options for neuroscience (which have significant overlap) for their first two years. 

Stanford has a world-class set of well-funded research labs working on neuroscience topics, including the Wu Tsai Neuro Community Laboratories and an impressive array of neurobiology research labs housed in the School of Medicine. Stanford’s programs are known for strong mentorship of undergrad neuroscience students, placing students in top graduate programs.

In addition, Stanford’s Coterminal Programs allow students to work towards a Masters degree at the same time that they are finishing their undergraduate degree, usually taking a fifth year to finish both degrees. Stanford undergraduates can apply in their senior year and will be accepted into the program one academic quarter before receiving their BS degree. Coterm programs are available in Biology, Bioengineering, and Symbolic Systems. 

Stanford is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in both psychology and the biological sciences. Stanford is also the #2 feeder for top medical schools.

3.6% admitted 740–780 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

Perhaps the most famous university in the world, Harvard needs no introduction. However, readers might be surprised by how small Harvard College (the undergrad division of the university) is compared to the twelve graduate schools: Harvard has about 7,000 undergrad students but 14,000 grad students. Harvard’s main campus is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts; opinions are divided whether Cambridge should properly be categorized as its own small city or a suburb of Boston. An adjoining campus for Science & Engineering is located across the Charles river in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, and the medical campus in Boston's Longwood Medical Area. 

Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest university in the US and has the largest endowment of any university in the world (calculated per student it’s in the top five). Harvard boasts strong departments in nearly every academic field. Students interested in multiple disciplines should be aware that very few students double-major at Harvard (fewer than 4% of Harvard students are pursuing double concentrations, which only recently were allowed at all). Harvard competes in Division I athletics.

Since creating the world’s first neurobiology department in 1966, Harvard has been a leader in neuroscience research. Harvard’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) offers a BA in Neuroscience with three different tracks: Neurobiology, Computational Neuroscience, or Mind, Brain, & Behavior (MBB). 

The Neurobiology track is a fairly standard approach to the biology of the brain. The Computational Neuro track allows students to develop skills in mathematics and computer science to analyze and model the signals of the brain. 

Meanwhile, the MBB track studies how other disciplines (like computer science, history of science, linguistics, or philosophy) approach the study of the mind; it is the only track to require research and an undergraduate thesis, which are optional for the other two tracks. At Harvard, “Mind/Brain/Behavior” is actually an interfaculty initiative, and MBB tracks also exist within computer science, history and science, human evolutionary biology, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology. Students on the MBB track from all of these disciplines will take an interdisciplinary seminar together in their junior year.

Harvard is one of the global leaders of neuroscience research, with labs housed in the Center for Brain Science, the Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology and Brain Science Initiative, the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural & Artificial Intelligence within Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex.

Harvard is one of the top twenty feeders for top PhD programs in the biological sciences, as well as a strong feeder for top PhD programs in psychology. Harvard is also the #1 feeder for top medical schools.

3.0% admitted 740–780 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

While Duke may be famous among the general population for their basketball team, it’s also unequivocally one of the best research universities in the country. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is the only T10 research university in the South. Hosting approximately 6,600 undergrads and 10,000 grad students across three campuses featuring Collegiate Gothic and Georgian architecture, the university is known as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Although Duke’s East Campus is walkable to downtown Durham, the campus feels more suburban. Duke forms one of the corners of the powerful Research Triangle region, together with North Carolina State University in Raleigh and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Although Duke’s academics are strong across the board, Duke is especially known for strengths in health sciences, global health, public policy, economics, and engineering. Unlike many of its ultra-selective peer institutions, Duke also offers a somewhat a more active student life and “typical college experience,” including a Greek system and a strong athletics program with tons of school spirit. Duke competes in Division I athletics. 

The Department of Psychology & Neuroscience within Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke offers several options for studying neuroscience.

The BS in Neuroscience at Duke provides a rigorous scientific grounding in the science of the brain: the molecular and cellular level, the level of neural circuits within which cells are organized and interconnected, and the level of behavior. Students have access to a wide range of advanced elective courses, including courses offered by the School of Medicine and the Pratt School of Engineering. 

Duke also offers the BS in Neuroscience as a second major (BS2) for students pursuing at BSE in Biomedical Engineering (BME) within the Pratt School of Engineering. Duke is a global leader in biomedical engineering, and the ability to double-major in BME and Neuroscience would make Duke an excellent fit for students who want to pursue a BME approach to neurobiology. Students in Biomedical Engineering are also eligible to apply for the Five-Year Combined Bachelor/Master’s Degree Program (4 + 1 BSE/Master’s Program), which allows students to work towards a Masters at the same time that they are finishing their undergraduate degree. The BSE in BME can be combined with a Master of Science (MS), Master of Engineering (MEng), or Master of Engineering Management (MEM).

Duke’s BA in Neuroscience, meanwhile, still covers the science of the brain, but also requires intersection courses that explore the broader impact of neuroscience on society or the dialogue between the brain sciences and other disciplines.

Duke also allows students to propose an interdepartmental major combining a BS or BA in Neuroscience with another major. Duke’s unique Program II offers an even more flexible way to create an individualized degree as an alternative to a traditional major; past Program II titles involving neuroscience have included “Biochemistry & Behavior,” “The Mind-Body Relationship,” and “Competing Views on Human Nature.”

In addition, Duke offers a minor in Neuroscience.

Students studing Neuroscience at Duke can take advantage of wide-ranging research opportunities at labs housed in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and the Institute for Brain Sciences, as well as at the Duke University Hospital and Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), part of Duke’s School of Medicine.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Duke is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in both psychology and the biological sciences. Duke is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools (in the top five when adjusted for the size of the student body).

5.4% admitted 740–770 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

MIT is now perhaps the most famous university worldwide for the sciences and engineering, but the university didn’t rise to prominence until WWII, when it became the nation's largest wartime R&D contractor. Since then, MIT has been synonymous with bleeding-edge scientific research in many fields. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Harvard, MIT has about 4,500 undergrads and 7,000 grad students; opinions are divided whether Cambridge should properly be categorized as its own small city or a suburb of Boston. MIT’s student culture is high-pressure and unabashedly nerdy, but many also describe it as collaborative, and a surprisingly high percentage of students are involved with Greek life. MIT competes in Division III athletics.

MIT offers several different options for students interested in neuroscience. 

The Department of Brain & Cognitive Science within MIT’s School of Science offers a BS in Brain and Cognitive Sciences (what MIT calls Course 9). This program draws from a wide range of disciplines to study perception, performance, and processes of the brain: molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience; cognitive and perceptual psychology; computer science and artificial intelligence; linguistics; philosophy of language and mind; and mathematics. There’s a lot of flexibility within this major, and students can essentially build a major ranging from molecular neuroscience to cognitive psychology. There is also a minor in Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

The Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences offer a new joint curriculum leading to a BS in Computation and Cognition (Course 6-9) that focuses on the emerging field of computational and engineering approaches to brain science, cognition, and machine intelligence. The curriculum provides flexibility to accommodate students with a wide diversity of interests in this area—from biologically inspired approaches to artificial intelligence to reverse engineering circuits in the brain. This joint program prepares students for careers that include advanced applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as further graduate study in systems and cognitive neuroscience. 

Students more interested in neurobiology might also consider a BS in Biology (Course 7), which could include advanced coursework in neuroscience and neurobiology, or a minor in Biology. 

Students interested in biomedical engineering approaches to neuroscience might also consider a BS in Biological Engineering or a minor in Biomedical Engineering.

MIT is home to numerous world-class laboratories that are at the forefront of neuroscience research, mostly based in the departments of Biology or Brain & Cognitive Sciences or within two major neuroscience research institutes, the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research.

MIT offers a special fifth-year program leading a to Master of Engineering (MEng) in Computation and Cognition. The program compresses the coursework necessary for a four-year BS and a two-year MEng. into 5 or 5.5 years. Students begin fulfilling MEng requirements in their latter semesters as undergraduates. Only students majoring in Computation and Cognition (Course 6-9) are eligible for this program, and students can apply in their junior or senior year.

In addition, MIT offers a fifth-year program that allows students from any of the departments of the Schools of Engineering or Science to work towards a Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (MEBE) at the same time that they are finishing their undergraduate degree. Students in the fifth-year MEBE program are required to complete a thesis, which is an original work of research, design, or development. MIT undergraduates can apply in their junior year.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, MIT is one of the top five feeders for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, MIT is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools.

4.5% admitted 730–780 Reading, 780–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

Often grouped with Harvard and Princeton as the pre-eminent Ivy League institutions, Yale has about 6,700 undergrads and 8,800 grad students across 15 constituent schools, including the undergraduate college and the famous Yale Law School. Unlike other universities that might spread their graduate programs across other campuses, Yale is fairly compact, making it easier for undergrads to access opportunities at the Medical School or other graduate-oriented programs. 

Academically, Yale is most famous for the social sciences and humanities (Yale dominates in admissions to elite law schools), but Yale’s STEM programs are also world-class, especially in the life sciences, and should not be overlooked. Yale students are known for being intellectually curious, and Yale’s strength in performing arts and creative writing has created a stereotype of Yale as the most “artsy” of the Ivies. However, it should be noted that few students (less than 10%) at Yale double-major. Yale has a semi-urban campus, with green quads and gorgeous Collegiate Gothic university buildings set into the small city of New Haven, Connecticut. (New Haven is also just two hours by commuter train from New York City or 2.5 hours by Amtrak from Boston.) Yale’s campus life is known for its close-knit residential colleges. Yale competes in Division I athletics.

Yale offers a standalone interdisciplinary major in Neuroscience, jointly sponsored jointly by the Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology and the Department of Psychology. Students can earn either a BS in Neuroscience, which requires more lab research, or a BA in Neuroscience, which requires nonempirical research. Yale’s Neuroscience program involves a hefty set of core biology requirements, and definitely falls towards the neurobiology side of the spectrum, with less emphasis on cognitive science.

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology also offers a Neurobiology track for students pursuing either a BS in Biology or BA in Biology or.

Students more interested in cognitive or behavioral neuroscience might opt for the Neuroscience track within the Department of Psychology, earning either a BS in Psychology or BA in Psychology.

Yale does not have a separate department of Cognitive Science, but does have an interdepartmental group in Cognitive Science drawing together faculty and researchers from Psychology, Biology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Computer Science, Music, Anthropology, the School of Medicine (Neurology and Neurosurgery), the School of Law, and the School of Management. Yale students can apply to build their own major in cognitive science, pursuing interdisciplinary themes including comparative cognition, group behavior, human-computer interaction, irrationality, law & politics, mind & computation, moral psychology, gender, and numerical cognition.

Yale has many cutting-edge labs in neuroscience research, mostly housed in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, the Department of Psychology, and the Neuroscience Department of the School of Medicine.

In addition, Yale offers an accelerated BS/MS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, in which exceptional students can earn both degrees in just four years.

Yale is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in both psychology and the biological sciences. Yale is also one of the top five feeders for top medical schools.

3.9% admitted 730–780 Reading, 740–790 Math 3.9+ GPA

An elite private university just north of Chicago, Northwestern (also abbreviated as NU) is typically ranked among the top ten research universities in the nation. Along with UChicago, its elite rival on the other side of downtown Chicago, Northwestern is certainly the pre-eminent university in the Midwest. Like Hopkins and Columbia, Northwestern has many more grad students than undergrads across their eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, with only about 4,000 undergrads compared to 23,000 grad students. Located in Evanston, on the edge of Lake Michigan, the Northwestern’s setting feels somewhere between urban and suburban. 

Academically, Northwestern is strong across the board, but it’s most famous for journalism, engineering, health sciences, the performing arts, and quantitative social sciences like economics; overall, Northwestern has a more “pre-professional” vibe in its approach to academics, comparable to Duke, Penn, or Hopkins than to its other elite wpeers. Northwestern operates on a quarter system (fall, winter, and spring quarters, with an optional summer quarter), not a semester system, so classes move quickly! Among top-tier universities, Northwestern is particularly supportive of combining multiple majors: more than 30% of students graduate with double or triple majors. Northwestern was one of the founding members of the Big Ten and competes in Division I athletics; along with Duke and Stanford, it’s one of the few top-tier universities that also boasts a strong sports culture.

Northwestern’s Department of Neurobiology, part of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, offers a BA in Neuroscience that combines studies of cognition with rigorous scientific study in neurobiology, along with additional courses in one of the following “Allied Fields”: biology, chemistry, computation & systems modeling, human behavior & cognition, or language & human connection.

Students may also be interested in the Molecular Neurobiology track within the BS in Biological Sciences. 

Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences also offers a accelerated (three-year) BA in Integrated Science, which has a separate highly-selective admissions process. Integrated Science Program are able to pursue Neuroscience (with an Allied Field of Computation and Systems Modeling) as a second major, completing both majors in four years. 

In addition, Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering offers a BS in Biomedical Engineering; while there is no specific track within the major for neuroscience or neuroengineering, there is a robust faculty research area in neural engineering.

Northwestern is a powerhouse for medical and biomedical engineering research, and is involved in substantial neuroscience research across the Department for Neurobiology and the McCormick School of Engineering on the main Evanston campus, as well as at the the Department of Neuroscience within the Feinberg School of Medicine, the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, and Lurie Children’s Hospital (one of the nation’s top pediatric hospitals) a few miles south on Northwestern’s downtown Chicago campus.

Northwestern is one of the top twenty feeders for top PhD programs in psychology. Northwestern is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools.

! Do not confuse Northwestern, a T10 university in Chicago, with Northeastern, a T50 (formerly T100) university in Boston! Northwestern should also not be confused with the various public universities with similar names.

7.7% admitted 740–770 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

As Penn students and alumni like to remind everyone, Penn (or UPenn) is an elite Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, typically ranked in the top ten universities in the nation. Penn has approximately 9,800 undergrads and 13,600 grad students spread across four undergraduate schools and twelve graduate and professional schools. The core of Penn’s campus covers a contiguous area of West Philadelphia, and its mix of Collegiate Gothic and modern architecture on green quads give Penn a semi-contained campus feel. Like UChicago and Columbia, Penn is near some rougher urban neighborhoods, but is generally safe within the campus bubble. 

Penn is most well-known for business and economics at the Wharton School, but it’s academically strong across most fields, including engineering and the health sciences. Overall, Penn has a more “pre-professional” vibe in its approach to academics, comparable to Duke, Northwestern, or Hopkins than to the other Ivies. Compared to some of the other Ivies, Penn is more supportive of combining multiple majors: around 25% of students in the College of Arts & Sciences double-major, and around 30% of Wharton students earn more than one degree. Penn competes in Division I athletics.

Students interested in studying brain and behavior at Penn have several options.

The Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience housed within Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences offers an interdisciplinary BA in Neuroscience. This major integrates courses neuroscience courses with basic science requirements in biology, chemistry and psychology and allowed for supervised research in areas as diverse as molecular neurobiology, chemical neuroanatomy, or visual sciences. There is also a minor in Neuroscience.

The Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience has also developed a new interdisciplinary minor in Computational Neuroscience. This minor provides quantitative skills to those already studying the brain, and teaches neuroscience to those already immersed in quantitative methodologies.

The undergraduate Neuroscience Program and the Health Care Management Department of the Wharton School jointly sponsor a minor in Neuroscience & Health Care Management, with the idea that science innovation must be developed and managed within healthcare services.

The other primary way to pursue neuroscience at Penn is within the BA in Biology. Formerly the Biology major offered several possible concentrations, including Neurobiology. In 2024 these concentrations were discontinued, with the idea that this better reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the biological sciences and gives students more flexibility. However, all of the courses previously featured in the Neurobiology concentration still exist, and students are free to choose courses that reflect an interest in neurobiology and neuroscience. There is also a minor in Biology.

Penn’s BA in Pyschology gives students the opportunity for significant electives in neuroscience, and would be a good fit for students more focused on the biological and cognitive bases of behavior. There is also a minor in Pyschology.

In addition, Penn offers an interdisciplinary BA in Cognitive Science that combines applies biology, computer science, linguistics, mathematics, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology to the study of language processing, perception, action, learning, concept formation, inference, and other activities of the mind, with applications for information technology and the study of artificial intelligence. Within this major, students can choose a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience, Computation & Cognition, Language & Mind, or create their own Independent Concentration. There is also a minor in Cognitive Science.

Neuroengineering involves the confluence of neuroscience, device development, computation, and mathematics in an effort to better understand, track, and modulate neural function in health, disease, and degeneration. Students interested in neuroengineering have two options at Penn. Within the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) in Bioengineering major, an ABET-accredited program housed in Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), students can select an optional concentration in Neuroengineering. The more flexible Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Biomedical Science, housed in Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences, also offers an optional concentration in Neuroengineering. The BAS degree can also be combined as a double major with other majors from the College of Arts and Sciences. The first two years of coursework are the same for both degrees, so student are free to change their path even after matriculation into the undergraduate program. Students from either the BSE or BAS degree are eligible to apply for an Accelerated Masters program that allows students to work towards a Masters in Bioengineering (MSE) at the same time that they are finishing their undergraduate degree.

Penn has world-class research labs working in neuroscience, and students have ample opportunities to engage in independent research. The Department of Neurology at Penn’s School of Medicine is involved in research ranging from explorations of the molecular basis of neural processing to imaging and behavioral investigations in humans. The MindCORE Center for Outreach, Research, & Education serves as an umbrella organization linking faculty and researchers across Biology, Bioengineering, Computer Science, Economics, Linguistics, Marketing, Neurology, Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, Philosophy, Psychiatry, Psychology, and other fields.

Penn is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in both psychology and the life sciences. Penn is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools.

! Do not confuse Penn, a T10 Ivy League university in Philadelphia, with Penn State, a large public T50 university on the other end of the state! Penn grads hate this.

5.4% admitted 730–770 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

One of the eight Ivy League universities, Columbia is the leading research university in New York City. As at Hopkins and Northwestern, the number of undergrad students is dwarfed by the grad students at Columbia: the university has only about 4,600 undergrads across three undergrad schools, but about 37,000 grad students across 16 grad schools. Columbia’s urban campus in Morningside Heights, on the West Side of Upper Manhattan, gives students access to a wealth of opportunities in the city. 

A particularly distinctive feature of the Columbia educational experience is the Core Curriculum, a liberal arts sequence required for all Columbia students featuring literature, philosophy, and other humanities disciplines. (Undergraduates in the School of Engineering and Applied Science take half of the humanities Core, plus a Technical Core.) Although Columbia has obviously been at the center of political controversies in recent years, it has maintained a strong reputation for academics across many fields, and is usually ranked among the T10 research universities in the nation. Columbia competes in Division I athletics.

Columbia’s Department of Psychology and Department of Biological Sciences (both within the College) co-sponsor a BA in Neuroscience & Behavior. This degree is fairly evenly split between Biology (neurobiology) and Psychology (cognitive science and behavior). 

Students primarily interested in neurobiology, not cognition, might also consider a BA in Biology, as it is possible to fulfill some requirements for the major with classes in neurobiology.

Columbia is particularly well-known for computational neuroscience research. Although there is not an undergraduate major in computational neuro, students could pursue a BA in Computational Biology, which combines a foundation in computer science and basic biology with advanced courses in a variety of subfields, including systems neurobiology. Columbia’s Center for Neural Engineering & Computation offers advanced courses.

Columbia’s unique dual BA program created in partnership with Trinity College Dublin also offers a BA in Neuroscience (Biological and Biomedical Sciences). Students spend their first two years at Trinity in Ireland, gaining a strong foundation in biological sciences and beginning their study of psychology and integrative neuroscience. In the third and fourth years, students move to Columbia in NYC, where they complete Columbia’s Core Curriculum and continue to develop expertise in biology, neurobiology, and behavioral and cognitive neuroscience.

Neuroscience research at Columbia has a rich history dating back to the founding of the Neurological Institute in Manhattan in 1909. Today, Columbia is host to many renowned neuroscience researchers. The Zuckerman Institute brings together researchers from across the university in a cross-disciplinary axis for research on the science of the brain and mind. The Department of Biological Sciences has eleven faculty working on neuroscience research. The Medical Center’s Department of Neuroscience oversees the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, the Kavli Institute for Brain Science, and the Grossman Center for the Statistics of the Mind. Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry also hosts the Clinical Cognitive Computational Neuroscience Center (C3N). The Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative aims to unite the community of neuroscientists at Columbia University Medical Center, including the the Motor Neuron Center and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain. The Neurological Institute of New York connects many research labs within neurology. Within the Department of Psychology, the Social Cognitive & Neural Sciences Lab and Social Neuroscience Lab tackle cognitive and behavioral questions.

Columbia is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Columbia is also one of the top five feeders for top medical schools.

! Do not confuse Columbia University, the Ivy League institution in NYC, with Columbia College Chicago, a small private college in Chicago. Note that the spelling of Columbia University differs from that of Colombia, the South American country.

3.9% admitted 740–780 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

Although Princeton is often named in together with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and MIT as one of the most elite universities in the nation, most people would be surprised by its small size — Princeton has about 5,300 undergrads but only about 3,100 grad students, almost all of which are PhD students (as Princeton has no graduate schools of law, medical, business, journalism, or other professional degrees). This means that Princeton is famously more “undergrad focused” than its peers among the Ivies and other elite research universities. One of the most distinctive features of the Princeton education is the senior thesis requirement: while some colleges require theses for honors degrees or particular majors, Princeton requires significant faculty-mentored senior theses for all students, along with substantial independent work in the junior year to prepare, and the scale of this independent work is often more comparable to a Master’s thesis. This means that Princeton tends to attract students particularly excited about independent research: a recent survey found that nearly half of Princeton freshmen are considering pursuing careers in academia and research. The senior thesis requirement also means that Princeton does not allow students to double-major. Academically, Princeton is strong across the board, but it’s particularly famous for its mathematics, physics, economics, and public policy departments.

Located in the affluent town of Princeton, New Jersey, the university is just one hour by commuter train from New York City or 1.5 hours by train from Philadelphia and has a very suburban feel. The campus itself is largely contiguous, featuring Collegiate Gothic architecture and green quads, and is known as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Calculated per student, Princeton has the largest endowment of any research university in the world, which leads to plentiful opportunities for students. Princeton competes in Division I athletics.

Neuroscience at Princeton is centered at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute (PNI), which often partners with Princeton’s departments of Psychology and Molecular Biology. The PNI offers a BA in Neuroscience that covers the study of molecular, cellular, developmental, and systems neuroscience as it interfaces with cognitive and behavioral research. The especially dedicated to computational research, and the neuroscience major at Princeton involves a hefty dose of computational modeling and statistics. Students will need to complete at least one advanced elective from each area of neuroscience: Molecular & Cellular, Circuits & Systems, Formal Theory & Neural Computation, and Social & Cognitive Neuroscience. All neuroscience students at Princeton are required to complete significant independent research as juniors and seniors, culminating in a year-long substantial senior thesis.

The PNI also offers a minor in Neuroscience, in which students complete advanced electives from three out of four areas of neuroscience: Molecular & Cellular, Circuits & Systems, Formal Theory & Neural Computation, and Social & Cognitive Neuroscience.

Students may also be interested in the minor in in Quantitative and Computational Biology.

Students less interested in systems neuroscience and neural computation (especially those intending to pursue medical school) might also consider Princeton’s BA in Molecular Biology, which could include some advanced electives in neurobiology.

Princeton’s Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics offers a first-year Integrated Science Curriculum, a special interdisciplinary program integrating physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and computer science. While students interested in neuroscience do not need to do the ISC first-year program, ISC can work well as an entry point for the Neuroscience major, fulfilling the biology, physics, and statistics requirements. The ISC program is also a good entry point for the Molecular Biology major.

Students primarily interested in behavioral neuroscience and cognitive science might consider the BA in Psychology. As part of the Psychology major, students take Cognitive Psychology, Functional Neuroanatomy, and have the opportunity to take a number of advanced neuroscience electives.

Princeton’s cross-departmental Program in Cognitive Science offers a minor in Cognitive Science. As part of the minor, students can take courses in Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Linguistics, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Philosophy, and the School of Public & International Affairs.

Princeton hosts many world-class neuroscience research projects, especially related to computational neuroscience and the intersection of neuroscience and AI. The PNI directs a number of programs and projects, including the Intel Labs & PNI Project, Rutgers-Princeton Center for Computational Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, BRAIN COGS (co-run by UC Davis), and the International Brain Lab (IBL).

Princeton is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Princeton is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools.

3.5% admitted 740–780 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

A mid-sized private research university in Houston, Texas, Rice has about 4,800 undergrads and 4,100 grad students. The university has a well-defined campus filled with trees that feels separate from the surrounding city; the campus is bordered by the Texas Medical Center and is set next to some of the wealthiest areas of the city, including the museum district, while downtown Houston is a few minutes away by light rail. Rice tends to top the lists of the “happiest” colleges — student culture is studious and hardworking, but also fun and supportive, with a social life centered around the residential colleges. Typically ranked at the bottom of the T20 universities overall, Rice is particularly known for STEM, especially biomedical engineering and the life sciences; Rice has one of the strongest pre-med cultures in the country, and nearly 18% of Rice students apply to med school [LINK]. Architecture and music performance are also very strong programs. Among top-tier universities, Rice is particularly supportive of combining multiple majors: about 40% of students graduate with double or triple majors. Rice competes in Division I athletics.

Rice’s Neuroscience Program, affiliated with the larger Department of BioSciences, offers several options for students interested in neuroscience. 

The BA in Neuroscience is more interdiscipinary and flexible. This version of the major is more appropriate for students interested in how neuroscience overlaps with psychology, linguistics, and/or philosophy. Student research is optional but not required.

Rice’s BS in Neuroscience provides a more focused course of study, with greater requirements for technical electives. Students choose either the Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience track, which centers the biological mechanics of how the nervous system works, or the Computational Neuroscience track, which explores how the brain works as an information processing system, as well as how computational techniques can be applied to understanding neurological processes. Student research is required for the BS degree.

Rice also offers a minor in Neuroscience with two tracks: the Humanities and Social Science track focuses on cognitive and behavioral approaches to neuroscience, while the Natural Sciences and Engineering track focuses on genetic, cellular/molecular, neuroengineering, computational, and systems-level investigations.

Rice’s BS in Biosciences, specifically the Cell Biology and Genetics track, also includes substantial opportunities for neurobiology elective courses.

The BS in Biomedical Engineering (BME) provides another avenue for neuroscience study; many Rice BME students complete a minor in Neuroscience (through the Natural Sciences and Engineering track), taking advantage of the overlap to study neuroengineering.

Rice also offers an interdisciplinary BA in Cognitive Sciences that spans neuroscience, computer science, linguistics, psychology, philosophy, and statistics. Students are required to take at least one course in each field, and then pursue an area of specialization in either computation, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, or psychology.

Rice faculty in the BioSciences, Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Bioengineering, and Electrical Engineering departments are engaged in exciting neuroscience research. Rice’s partnership with the nearby Texas Medical Center forms one of the largest concentration of neuroscience researchers, engineers, and educators in the world. In addition, Rice has interinstitutional agreements with Baylor’s College of Medicine and with UT Houston’s Health Sciences and McGovern Medical School, allowing for joint faculty appointments and neuroscience research projects in Houston. 

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Rice is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Rice is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

8.0% admitted 740–770 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

As one of the top public universities in the nation, UCLA hardly needs introduction. Part of the outstanding University of California system, UCLA tends to be one of the only large public universities ranked among the T20, along with UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan. Accordingly, UCLA is significantly larger than private universities of similar selectivity: with over 33,000 undergrads and 13,600 grad students, UCLA is on a very different scale. The university is known for having a lively and social student community with a pretty and sunny campus. Located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, between Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, UCLA’s campus can feel like a bubble, but it’s still fairly connected to the surrounding city.

Academically, UCLA is especially known for film, engineering, and the life sciences; UCLA has a strong pre-med student culture, with nearly 20% of students ultimately applying to medical school [LINK]. UCLA operates on a quarter system (fall, winter, and spring quarters, with an optional summer quarter), not a semester system, so classes move quickly! UCLA competes in Division I athletics.

UCLA’s Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program offers a BS in Neuroscience. In addition to a strong base in life sciences, chemistry, physics, statistics, mathematics, and basic neuroscience, students also complete electives across Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience, Systems & Integrative Neuroscience, and Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Neuroscience. Neuroscience majors must complete a neuroscience research capstone experience. UCLA also offers a minor in Neuroscience.

Students may also be interested in UCLA’s BS in Cognitive Science, housed in the Department of Psychology. While including a strong foundation in the traditional areas of psychology, this major is interdisciplinary in nature and includes coursework from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, computer science, mathematics, and related disciplines. UCLA offers an option to add a Specialization in Computing as a supplement to the Cognitive Science major; this supplement provides an extensive education in computer science and an introduction to its applications in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. 

UCLA’s Department of Psychology also offers a BS in Pyschobiology, which includes neural, experimental psychological, natural history, genetic, comparative/evolutionary, and developmental approaches to understanding human and animal behavior. This major is designed for students who plan to go on to postgraduate work in physiological psychology, neuroscience, behavioral aspects of biology, or the health sciences. The BA in Psychology, on the other hand, which is more broad and flexible, is not designed for students pursuing a career in science or research.

UCLA’s BS in Physiological Science is designed to provides an education spanning levels of biological organization from gene networks to whole system-level physiology. Advanced electives in the major could include neurobiology, neuroendocrinology, neuromuscular physiology, neuroethological, systems biology, and other courses related to neuroscience.

Students primarily interested in neurobiology and a rigorous scientific training might consider the BS in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, which could include advanced electives in neuroscience, systems biology, and computational biology.

The Computational and Systems Biology Interdepartmental Program at UCLA offers a BS in Computational Biology, and interdisciplinary major uniting biology, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Students in the Computational Biology major choose from three tracks: Bioinformatics, Biological Data Sciences, and Dynamical Modeling. Any of these tracks could include coursework in neurosystems. The interdepartmental program also offers a minor in Mathematical Biology and a minor in Systems Biology.

Students in any UCLA major may apply for the Biomedical Research Minor, which includes four quarters of hands-on research experience in addition to five core courses aimed at supporting and enhancing the research activities. 

UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers a BS in Bioengineering. While there isn’t a specific track within the Bioengineering major for neuroengineering, the coursework could provide a foundation for research or graduate study in that field.

UCLA has many faculty conducting research within various areas of neuroscience, including brain imaging, developmental neuroscience, learning and memory, neural degeneration, and neural repair. The Computational Biosciences Undergraduate Research Portal helps to connect UCLA undergrads with computational and coding skills with biosciences research projects that involve data analysis or modeling. 

The UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI) helps to unite neuroscience researchers across UCLA’s departments and programs. Formed in 1959 by a small cadre of neuroscientists, the BRI is one of the first neuroscience research collectives established in the nation. Now with approximately 300 faculty members representing nearly 30 departments from 6 schools within UCLA (including the Geffen School of Medicine), the institute is UCLA's central force in its mission to advance interdisciplinary basic and clinical neuroscience. Clinical neuroscience research at UCLA benefits from the UCLA Medical Center, the primary teaching hospital for the David Geffen School of Medicine, which has a leading Department of Neurology.

UCLA is one of the top ten feeders for top PhD programs in both psychology and the life sciences. UCLA is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools.

9.0% admitted (6.7% Bioengineering, 13% Life Sciences) 3.9+ GPA

As one of the eight Ivy League universities, Brown is a mid-sized private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Like Princeton, Brown has far more undergrads than grad students, with about 7,200 undergrads and only 3,100 grad students. One distinctive feature of Brown’s academic approach is their Open Curriculum: students have no general education requirements, allowing them to pursue interdisciplinary interests, and any course can be taken as pass/fail (without a letter grade). About 20% of Brown’s students ultimately graduate with two concentrations (majors). This flexibility, combined with significant grade inflation, likely contribute to Brown’s reputation as the most relaxed and “happy” of the Ivies. The same conditions have also made Brown a popular choice for pre-med students: as many as 19% of Brown students ultimately apply to medical school, one of the highest med school feeder rates in the nation.

Situated in the affluent College Hill neighborhood of Providence, adjoining the renowned Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Brown feels somewhat between suburban and urban: Providence itself is a small city, and it’s just an hour away from Boston by Amtrak or bus. Brown competes in Division I athletics.

Brown’s Department of Neuroscience offers a BS in Neuroscience that brings together a rigorous study of neurobiology (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, development) with elements of psychology and cognitive science, as well as mathematical and physical principles involved in modeling neural systems. The major allows considerable flexibility for students to develop the last two years along lines of individual preference; students may focus on areas of cellular and molecular neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, or some combination of these. Students are required to complete the equivalent of one semester of independent study, research, or design.

Brown’s Department of Neuroscience also offers a BS in Computational Neuroscience that spans many fields, including computer science, neuroscience, cognitive science, applied math, data science, and artificial intelligence. Students studying Computational Neuroscience will learn to use computational models of the brain and nervous system to study complex biological processes and overcome the limitations of human experimentation. They will also learn to use the brain and nervous system as a model to improve the power and efficiency of artificial systems. There is also a broader BS in Computational Biology (with focus areas in Computer Sciences, Biological Sciences, or Applied Mathematics & Statistics) or BA in Computational Biology hosted by the Center for Computational Molecular Biology. Brown has one of the leading programs for applied math, and the Division of Applied Mathematics also offers a BS in Applied Mathematics – Biology with an even greater focus on rigorous mathematics. Students design a focus area in biochemistry, neuroscience, ecology, or genetics, and the program culminates in a senior capstone experience that enables students to participate in creative research collaborations with faculty.

Brown’s Neuroscience major leans towards the neurobiology side, but students wanting to focus even more on neurobiology could also consider a BS in Biology (within the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry), pursuing the track in Neurobiology. The BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, offered jointly by the Chemistry Department and the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, could also include advanced neuroscience electives.

The Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences at Brown offers a both a BA in Cognitive Neuroscience and a BS in Cognitive Neuroscience; the latter adds the requirement of five rigorous STEM courses. Students can choose whether to pursue the behavioral and experimental side of the field or take a computational and modeling approach.

The Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences also offers a broader BA in Cognitive Science and BS in Cognitive Science, using uses methods of experimentation, computational modeling, and brain imaging to study mental abilities such as perception, action, memory, cognition, speech, and language. Students then create their own focus area of study, potentially integrating coursework from the Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences department with a diverse subset of fields including Anthropology, Applied Math, Education, Neuroscience, and Philosophy. The BS version of the major requires students to engage in a specific research project in the focus area of their choosing.

In addition, the Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences offers a BA in Behavioral Decision Sciences, a BA in Psychology, and a BS in Pyschology, all of which share overlaps with neuroscience. 

Brown’s Institute for Biology, Engineering and Medicine offers an ABET-accredited BS in Biomedical Engineering (BME); electives for the major can include neuroengineering and neurobiology classes. Students majoring in BME complete a capstone project working directly with clinicians and healthcare professionals to address their engineering design challenges.

Brown has strong research activity across the areas of Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology, Cognition & Behavior, Computation in Brain & Mind, Neural Circuits, Neuroengineering & Neurotechnology, and Sensation & Perception. The technology-focused BioMed Core Facilities provide access to cutting-edge instrumentation and technologies at Brown. 

The Carney Institute for Brain Science is a multidisciplinary consortium of faculty from eleven departments that promotes collaborative theoretical and experimental studies of the brain. The Center for Translational Neuroscience works to advance knowledge of the pathogenesis of brain disease. The Center for the Neurobiology of Cells and Circuits focuses on the function of neural circuits. The Center on the Biology of Aging brings together a group of faculty in an organized effort to study the basic biological processes that are associated with aging. Brown’s Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research is committed to advancing early detection and individualized treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The Center for Vision Research was formed in 2007 to capitalize on Brown University's rich history and strength in vision research.

Brown’s 8-year Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) is perhaps the most famous BS/MD program in the country, allowing about 50 students to combine both their undergraduate studies and medical education at Brown, with guaranteed admission to Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School without the MCAT. Grounded in Brown’s Open Curriculum, PLME fosters a holistic approach to education by blending humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with a strong focus on humanism.

In addition, the Fifth-Year Master’s Program allows current Brown Undergraduates to complete a Master’s in just one year and apply up to two undergraduate credits to their degree. Brown students majoring in biology or related fields can apply for the fifth-year MA or MS degree in Biology, administered by the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry Graduate Program. Brown students majoring in biology, biophysics, neuroscience, chemistry, physics, economics, or finance can apply for a fifth-year MS (thesis) or MA (non-thesis) in Biotechnology. Brown students majoring in engineering (all disciplines, not just BME), physics, applied math, or computer science can apply for the fifth-year MS in Biomedical Engineering.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Brown is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in both psychology and the biological sciences. Brown is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

5.4% admitted 740–780 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

Consistently ranked as one of the top five liberal arts colleges in the country, Pomona is a small private college located in Claremont, an affluent suburb to the east of Los Angeles, at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Pomona has only about 1,700 undergrad students on their campus, but Pomona’s campus is contiguous to the other four Claremont Colleges (Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps), which together have about 8,500 undergrad students. It’s easy to cross-register for classes at the other colleges, and many extracurricular activities are held jointly across the 5Cs, as they’re called. Although Pomona is a newer college, founded in the late 19th century, they have one of the largest endowments per student in the country. Pomona is particularly known for their rigorous academics and preparation for top grad programs; they also have a strong fine arts culture and a pretty campus. Pomona–Pitzer competes in Division III athletics. 

The Neuroscience Department at Pomona offers a BA in Neuroscience that is one of the most popular majors on campus. The major unites courses in biology, psychology, and chemistry, and many students also take courses in mathematics, physics, psychology, and computer science. Studying neuroscience in a liberal arts environment allows students to explore a variety of topics such as neuropharmacology, psychopathology, sensory systems, mathematical physiology, neuroimaging, neurogenetics, neuroethology and the social brain. 

More than 90% of Neuroscience students at Pomona assist faculty in research or conduct funded research with faculty mentorship.

Students more interested in neurobiology might also consider a BA in Molecular Biology, which includes courses in neurobiology and computational biology. The most popular pre-med majors at Pomona are Molecular Biology (which has more lab requirements) or Neuroscience (which is more flexible). Because the introductory sequences are the same for Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Biology, and Chemistry majors at Pomona, it’s easy to wait until later to decide on a major. 

In addition, Pomona’s Linguistics and Cognitive Science Department offers a flexible BA in Cognitive Science, which explores how the mind works using an interdisciplinary perspective drawing on the core disciplines of psychology, neuroscience, computer science, philosophy, and linguistics.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Pomona is one of the top five feeders for top PhD programs in the biological sciences, as well one of the top twenty feeders for top PhD programs in psychology. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Pomona is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

7.1% admitted 740–770 Reading, 750–790 Math 3.9+ GPA

Consistently ranked as one of the top five liberal arts colleges in the country, Swarthmore is a small private liberal arts college located in a suburb of Philadelphia, half an hour from downtown. Swarthmore is certainly a small college, with only about 1,700 undergrad students, but through the Quaker Consortium students can also enroll in classes at Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Penn; a free shuttle service runs between Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr (the Tri-College Consortium). Founded in the mid-19th century, Swarthmore has one of the largest endowments per student in the country. 

Swarthmore is particularly well-known for economics, but they’re strong across the board academically and typically send many students to top PhD programs. Uncommon for a liberal arts college, Swarthmore also has an engineering program. Swarthmore is supportive of combining multiple majors: about 40% of students graduate with double or triple majors. Students tend to be politically-engaged and socially progressive. Swarthmore competes in Division III athletics.

The Departments of Psychology and Biology at Swarthmore jointly offer a BA in Neuroscience. Beyond the core foundation courses (in biology, chemistry, math, and psychology) and one advanced course each in biology and psychology, the requirements for the major are flexible, allowing students to lean more to the cognitive psychology side or more to the neurobiology side. 

The Neuroscience major at Swarthmore allows students such latitude that it’s less likely that students primarily interested in neuroscience would find a better fit in the Biology or Psychology departments. However, Swarthmore’s BA in Psychology or the minor in Psychology do have substantial overlaps with behavioral neuroscience. Similarly, students could opt for a BA in Biology or a minor in Biology.

Swarthmore’s interdisciplinary BA in Cognitive Science offers the opportunity to study the mind at the intersection of six disciplines: neuroscience, cognitive psychology, computer science, linguistics, mathematics & statistics, and philosophy. Swarthmore also offers a minor in Cognitive Science.

Swarthmore has a variety of neuroscience research labs primarily focused on cognitive neuroscience, including language comprehension, visual perception, and brain-computer interfaces. Labs include the ERP Lab, CONE LAB, and Baugh Lab.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Swarthmore is one of the top ten feeders for top PhD programs in both psychology and the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Swarthmore is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

7.5% admitted 740–770 Reading, 750–790 Math 3.9+ GPA

Considered one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country, Bowdoin is a small private liberal arts college located in the charming small town of Brunswick in mid-coast Maine, about half an hour from Portland and two hours from Boston. (While not directly on the open ocean, the campus is only about three miles from Casco Bay.) Bowdoin has about 2,000 undergrad students and a large endowment per student. Many students participate in outdoorsy activities, and Bowdoin competes in Division III athletics.

Bowdoin offers a BA in Neuroscience made up of courses from other departments within the College. Beyond the core foundation courses (in biology, chemistry, psychology, and statistics), the requirements for the major are flexible, and it would be possible to select courses entirely in neurobiology, entirely in cognitive psychology, or a mix of both sides.

The Neuroscience major at Bowdoin allows students such latitude that it’s less likely that students primarily interested in neuroscience would find a better fit in the Biology or Psychology departments. However, Bowdoin’s BA in Psychology or the minor in Psychology do have substantial overlaps with behavioral neuroscience. Similarly, students could opt for a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology or a minor in Biology. 

Bowdoin also offers a more unusual BA in Neurochemistry, a version of a Chemistry major with electives in the Neuroscience program and in the Chemistry, Biology, and Psychology departments.

Neuroscience students at Bowdoin are encouraged to undertake a program of independent study or honors research in their senior year. In addition, many students pursue research at Bowdoin over the summer or during their sophomore and junior years. Faculty-led labs include the Horch lab (cricket model systems to examine molecular neurobiology), Honeycutt lab (translational rat models of psychiatric/affective disorders), and Nyhus Lab (human executive function and episodic memory).

Bowdoin students pursuing medical school are elibile to apply to the MD Early Assurance Program at Tufts’ School of Medicine using the Maine Track, which allows sophomores from certain Maine colleges to secure early admission to Tufts’ School of Medicine (provided that they later meet MCAT requirements).

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Bowdoin is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Bowdoin is also a strong feeder for top medical schools.

7.1% admitted 730–770 Reading, 740–780 Math 3.9+ GPA

Consistently ranked as one of the top five liberal arts colleges in the country, Amherst is a small private liberal arts college located in the town of central Massachusetts town of Amherst, along with the much larger University of Massachusetts. (Don’t confuse Amherst College with UMass Amherst!) The town of Amherst is about two hours from Boston and has a classic college town feel; while Amherst College has only about 2,000 undergrad students, there’s plenty of student life from UMass Amherst (over 31,000 students), and the nearby small liberal arts colleges of Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, and Smith. Founded in the early 19th century as an attempt to relocate Williams, Amherst has one of the largest endowments per student in the country. 

Like Brown, Amherst has an open curriculum (no core curriculum or distribution requirements), and it’s particularly known for the social sciences and pre-law. Amherst tends to be supportive of combining multiple majors: over 50% of students in the class of 2024 had multiple majors, while 10 students that year even completed triple majors and 3 students completed quadruple majors! The student culture tends to be fairly preppy and athletic. Amherst competes in Division III athletics.

Amherst boasts one of the oldest Neuroscience programs in the country, going all the way back to 1973.

Amherst’s Department of Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary BA in Neuroscience, featuring courses in biology, chemistry, psychology, mathematics, physics, and other disciplines. Students majoring in Neuroscience complete upper-level courses in three specific areas: Behavioral, Cellular/Molecular, and Human Neuroscience.

Students could also consider a BA in Psychology, which includes courses with significant overlap with neuroscience like Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Consciousness & the Brain, and Neuroscience Systems & Behavior.

Through the Five College Consortium, Amherst students have access to classes and other opportunities at three other nearby liberal arts colleges (Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, and Smith) and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The Consortium offers many shared certificates, of which one is the Cognitive Neuroscience Program, although currently this certificate is only available to students at Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, and Smith.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Amherst is one of the top twenty feeders for top PhD programs in the biological sciences, as well as a strong feeder for top PhD programs in psychology. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Amherst is also one of the top ten feeders for top medical schools.

9.0% admitted 740–780 Reading, 750–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

Vanderbilt (or, more informally, Vandy) is an elite private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. With about 7,200 undergrads and 6,300 grad students across eleven schools, Vanderbilt is a mid-sized university considered the best in the South after Duke. While Vanderbilt’s campus is situated at the heart of Nashville, it’s a self-contained, leafy bubble within that urban setting. 

Academically, Vanderbilt is strong across the board, but its education program is the best in the nation, and it’s particularly known for attracting pre-law and pre-med students; nearly 20% of Vanderbilt students ultimately apply to medical school, one of the highest rates of medical school attendance in the nation (after Hopkins and Emory, tied with WashU). Among top-tier universities, Vanderbilt is particularly supportive of combining multiple majors: about 35% of students graduate with double or triple majors. Among its ultra-selective peers, Vanderbilt is known for having a fairly good quality of life, with a balance between academics and social life. Vanderbilt competes in Division I athletics.

Vanderbilt’s Program in Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary BS in Neuroscience that combines molecular biology, biophysics, computational science, engineering, cognitive psychology, neurology, chemistry, and mathematics. Vanderbilt has made sure to design their Neuroscience major to fit the goals of pre-med students. The major requires introductory courses in mathematics, statistics (or computer science), biology, and physics to provide the broad scientific background necessary to the study of neuroscience; students then neuroscience from both the Cellular & Molecular side and the Systems, Integrative, & Cognitive Neuro side. There is also a minor in Neuroscience.

Students could also consider the BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology within Vanderbilt’s Department of Biological Sciences. The degree integrates coursework with an emphasis on independent laboratory research; students engage for multiple semesters in faculty-led research projects for course credit. Advanced electives for the major could include neurobiology courses.

The Department of Psychology within the College of Arts and Science offers a BA in Psychology, which could include electives in neuroscience, and a minor in Psychology.

The Department of Psychology and Human Development of Peabody College offers an interdisciplinary BA in Cognitive Studies that explores diverse approaches to human cognition, including communication, cognitive development, basic cognitive processes, applications of theories of knowledge, and sociocultural aspects of learning. Cognitive Studies students make extensive use of computer technology and modern brain imaging neuroscience methods to conduct research.

The Vanderbilt Brain Institute is a trans-institutional entity that oversees, facilitates and fosters excellence in brain-related disciplines; VBI faculty are involved in translational and clinical research that encompasses most areas of contemporary neuroscience. The Department of Neurology at Vanderbilt’s Medical Center comprises more than 100 physicians and research scientists studying neurological conditions.

Vanderbilt hosts a variety of centers and institutes devoted to this interdisciplinary research in neuroscience and cognition. These include the Vision Research Center, the Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development and Disabilities, and the Institute of Imaging Sciences.

Meanwhile, the Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience program marshals the talents of over 30 faculty in Psychological Sciences at Vanderbilt to examine fundamental problems in perception, attention, memory, thinking, and problem solving. 

Vanderbilt is a strong feeder for top medical schools.

5.1% admitted 740–770 Reading, 770–790 Math 3.9+ GPA

Thanks to popular culture and its location at the heart of New York City, NYU is one of the most well-known universities in the nation, and although it’s usually hovering below the T20 or even T30 in most national rankings, it’s the dream university for many students. NYU is perhaps the prototypical urban campus, with university buildings interwoven with the surrounding city; it’s thus best for students who are excited to take advantage of New York City, and who don’t mind the lack of a traditional campus or green quads. NYU is also considerably larger than most other ultra-selective private universities, with about 30,000 undergrads and 28,000 grad students; the only top-tier private universities of similar size are USC and Boston University. Academically, NYU is especially known for the Stern School of Business and the Tisch School of the Arts, but it also has fairly strong programs in most fields. NYU competes in Division III athletics.

NYU’s Center for Neural Science, the Washington Square Campus home for teaching and research in the brain sciences, offers a BS in Neural Science within the College of Arts & Science. The major’s curriculum blends core introductory courses on the function of individual nerve cells and sensory and motor processing with more specialized neural science electives, which allow students to study neurogenetics, computational neuroscience, cognition, the neurobiology of brain disorders, neuroeconomics and decision-making, and other areas. There is no minor in Neural Science. (Be aware that Neuro has a reputation as one of the hardest majors in NYU CAS, so many pre-med students opt for Bio or Psych instead to maintain a high GPA.)

The BA in Biology (within the College of Arts & Science) offers a flexible education in the fundamentals of biology. Many students interested in the biomedical sciences elect to add the minor in Molecular and Cell Biology. 

The BA in Psychology (within the College of Arts & Science) is one of the most popular majors at NYU, balancing the study of psychology both as a natural science and as a social science. While the Psychology major does not offer specific “tracks,” it has been designed in such a way as to allow interested students to focus on the areas of specialized study that include Cognitive Neuroscience, Perception, and Cognition. There is also a minor in Psychology.

In addition, NYU offers an interdisciplinary BA in Language & Mind, allowing students to dive into questions at the core of Cognitive Science. NYU’s Language & Mind study program is strongly integrative, drawing courses from Psychology, Linguistics, and Philosophy.

NYU’s Center for Neural Science encompasses facilities for advanced research in neurochemistry, neurophysiology, biophysics, behavioral neuroscience, visual science, auditory science, mathematical biology, computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science; the facilities provide a home for the labs of 16 core neuroscience faculty. Meanwhile, the Department of Neuroscience is the home of leading neuroscience research at NYU Langone Health and houses additional core neuroscience labs, as well as affiliates from clinical departments and the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research. NYU’s Institute for the Study of Decision Making helps to link the study of decision-making from neurobiology to social policy; in particular, NYU is home to interesting research in neuroeconomics, taking advantage of NYU’s strengths in business, economics, and finance. 

NYU is one of the top ten feeders for top PhD programs in psychology. NYU is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

9.2% admitted 720–760 Reading, 760–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

One of the most elite STEM-focused institutions in the country, for years Caltech has had the lowest admit rates of any university, and it has the stellar reputation to match. Often considered the West Coast rival to MIT, Caltech is nevertheless about the quarter of the size: Caltech has under 1,000 undergrad students in total, and under 1,500 grad students. (In terms of student enrollement, Caltech actually closer in size to the nearby Harvey Mudd College, although Mudd is usually grouped with liberal arts colleges because it’s not a research university.) Located in Pasadena, California, eleven miles from downtown Los Angeles, Caltech has a decidedly suburban feel.

Academically, Caltech is especially known for their work in Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemistry, and Engineering; as a key partner with NASA, Caltech manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which handles robotic exploration of the solar system. Caltech operates on a quarter system (fall, winter, and spring quarters, with an optional summer quarter), not a semester system, so classes move quickly! The student culture at Caltech is unabashedly nerdy and intense, yet collaborative; while MIT might be considered more focused on industry and entrepreneurship, the research-oriented environment at Caltech tends to attract students pursuing careers in research and academia. Caltech competes in Division III athletics.

The field of computation and neural systems was pioneered by Caltech scientists in the 1980s, exploring the intricate workings of information processing in both the brain and computer systems. This has opened up possibilities for addressing neural and information-processing challenges and employing bio-inspired computer design to develop advanced machine learning algorithms across various functions. Today, Caltech’s unique BS in Computation & Neural Systems combines computer science and biological sciences with a strong emphasis on machine learning, bioengineering, and computational techniques. The major used to be part of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science division, but is now part of the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering; that previous affiliation shows in the focus of the program. The major begins with a solid foundation in math and physics, then continues with courses with clusters in biology and computer science. Many students participate in research at the intersection of neuroscience and computation, like using biophysics models to design proteins for use in vaccines or new biomolecules for medical applications.

Students more interested in neurobiology might pursue the BS in Biology, which combines core classes in biology, chemistry, math, and physics with advanced electives in biology or bioengineering. Students planning to pursue medicine typically follow the pre-med track within the biology major. There is also a minor in Biology.

The Division of Biology and Biological Engineering also awards the minor in Neurobiology to students who complete significant neuroscience coursework but are not majors in either Biology or Computation & Neural Systems. 

In addition, Caltech offers a BS in Bioengineering that encompasses foundational chemical and biological principles, data analysis, molecular engineering, experimentation design, and advanced scientific and engineering lab research. A number of advanced bioengineering electives overlap with neuroscience and neuroengineering.

The Chen Institute for Neuroscience provides support for research in a broad variety of areas and serves as a home for the Caltech neuroscience community. The Chen Center for Systems Neuroscience supports research in systems and circuit neuroscience as well as human neuroscience. The Caltech Center for Brain Imaging supports research in cognitive neuroscience. The Center for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience supports research in molecular neuroscience. Many faculty and labs from the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences are engaged in computational neuroscience research. Research in neuroengineering is supported by the Caltech Neurotechnology Laboratory (part of the Beckman Institute, a multi-disciplinary research center for research in the chemical and biological sciences) and the Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center. The Rosen Bioengineering Center supports bioengineering research through the funding of fellows and research projects across many disciplines.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Caltech is the #1 feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Caltech is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

2.6% admitted 740–760 Reading, 790–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

In many ways, Cornell is the odd one out among the eight Ivy League universities. For one, it’s much larger than the others, with over 16,000 undergrads across eight undergrad colleges and 10,600 grad students across seven graduate divisions. For another, Cornell is much newer than the other Ivies; while the other seven are all older than the US itself (founded between 1636 and 1769), Cornell was created in 1865 as a land-grand university. Finally, Cornell is an unusual hybrid of public and private — twelve of its divisions are private, while four (the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, the College of Human Ecology, the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and the College of Veterinary Medicine) are public. Each one of Cornell’s undergrad colleges handles their own admissions process, and admit rates can vary significantly across the different colleges.

Located in Ithaca, upstate New York, Cornell is also famously the most remote of the Ivies. (The closest small cities to Ithaca are Rochester and Syracuse, both about 1.5 hours away, while NYC is about a four-hour drive.) That said, Cornell is also known for having a beautiful campus, with easy access to nature. The social scene at Cornell tends to be dominated by Greek life, though the university is large enough to have plenty of other options as well. Academically, Cornell is best known for engineering, computer science, economics, architecture, the life sciences, and hospitality (they’re the only elite college to have a four-year hotel management program). Cornell competes in Division I athletics.

At Cornell, Neurobiology & Behavior exists as one of the fourteen concentrations within the Biological Sciences major. The Biological Sciences major is offered in both the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS). Students within CAS earn a BA in Biological Sciences. Students within CALS earn a BS in Biological Sciences. In addition to foundation courses in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, and genetics, students pursuing the Neurobiology & Behavior concentration take advanced electives in neurobiology, computational neuroscience, biopsychology, and more. 

Other concentrations within the Biological Sciences major that relate to neuroscience might be Molecular & Cell Biology, Genetics, or Computational Biology. Note that Cornell no longer offers a minor in Biological Sciences.

Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) offers an interdisciplinary BA in Cognitive Science. In addition to core courses in cognitive science, statistics, and data science, students pursue at least advanced electives from three of five concentrations (for breadth), with further electives in one of the five (for depth): Language Science, Evolution & Development, Computational Cognitive Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Mind & Culture.

An interdisciplinary minor in Cognitive Science is available to all CAS students, as well as to students from other divisions of Cornell via petition. Students in the Cognitive Science minor follow one of five tracks: Perception & Cognition, Language & Cognition, Cognition & Information Processing, Cognitive Neuroscience, or an independent course of study approved by an advisor.

In addition, Cornell’s Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering offers a BS in Biomedical Engineering (BME). Students combine experiential learning with advanced coursework in a BME concentration: Biomaterials & Drug Delivery, Biomechanics & Mechanobiology, Biomedical Imaging & Instrumentation, or Molecular, Cellular, & Systems Engineering. 

Cornell offers a minor in Biomedical Engineering that is open to all Cornell undergrads.

Cornell is home to many cutting-edge research projects in neuroscience and neurobiology. Cornell’s Department of Neurology & Behavior engages in research on Cognition & Memory, Genetics of Behavior, Sensory Biology & Neuroscience, and Systems & Computational Neuroscience. Cornell Neurotech is a joint initiative between Cornell Engineering and Cornell Arts & Sciences dedicated to developing technologies that enable precise observation and manipulation of neural circuits. Cornell’s Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering hosts additional labs, such as the Kwan Lab (systems neuroscience), while Cornell’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering hosts the Cornell Neuroengineering Lab. Weill Cornell Medicine hosts further neuroscience research, such as the Grosenick lab (neuroengineering approaches for psychiatry), the Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute, the Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Unit, and clinical trials through the Department of Neurology. Burke Neurological Institute (neuro-repair and research) is also an academic affiliate of Weill Cornell Medicine.

Cornell is one of the top five feeders for top PhD programs in the life sciences, as well as one of the top twenty feeders for top PhD programs in psychology. Cornell is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

! Don’t confuse Cornell University, the Ivy League university in New York state, with Cornell College, a small liberal arts college in Iowa. Cornell University is made up of many undergraduate colleges, including the College of Arts & Sciences (Cornell CAS), but no division of Cornell University is called Cornell College.

8.4% admitted 730–770 Reading, 770–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

Founded as the sister school to Columbia (which became co-ed only in 1983), Barnard is an elite private women’s liberal arts college in New York City. (Barnard was one of the “Seven Sisters,” the elite women’s colleges in the Northeast created as a parallel to the all-men’s Ivy League colleges.) Barnard and Columbia have a unique relationship: students share academic resources along with extracurricular activities, athletic fields, and dining halls, and other campus resources. Barnard students benefit from the experience of a women’s college with small, intimate classes, while also retaining access to the vast resources of Columbia. Barnard has separate admissions and requires a certain portion of courses to be taken within Barnard, but at graduation Barnard students and Columbia College students are awarded the same degree, which is conferred at Columbia University’s commencement ceremony. Because of the connection to Columbia, Barnard is the only women’s college to compete in Division I athletics.

Barnard offers a BA in Neuroscience & Behavior that is one of the college’s most popular programs. Run by the new Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, the major provides a strong background in the biological underpinnings of behavior and cognition, including coursework in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Computer Science. Students in the major have the option of selecting elective courses in a focused track: cognitive/behavioral, computational, or molecular. Students complete year-long senior capstone with a research thesis. There is no minor in Neuroscience & Behavior.

Students could also consider the BA in Biology, especially the tracks in Cellular & Molecular Biology, Physiological & Organismal Biology, or Computational Biology. There is a minor in Biology.

The BA in Psychology also has a small amount of overlap with neuroscience and cognitive science. There is a minor in Psychology.

In addition, Barnard offers an interdisciplinary BA in Cognitive Science that includes courses from Neuroscience, Psychology, Linguistics, Mathematics, and Philosophy to study how the mind works. Students choose an area of specialization within the major; possible specializations include aesthetics, cognitive development, cognitive linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, cognitive psychology, consciousness, decision science, human-computer interaction, intelligence, learning, memory, natural language processing, neuroeconomics, perception, and social cognition.

Due to Barnard’s academic affiliation with Columbia, Barnard students have access to courses and other opportunities at Columbia. Barnard’s Department of Neuroscience & Behavior has listed the equivalent core courses at Columbia. (Students pursuing computational neuroscience might be particularly interested in the courses at Columbia’s Center for Neural Engineering and Computation.)

Students studying neuroscience at Barnard have access to a wide range of research opportunities, both at Barnard or at Columbia. Research labs are hosted by the Department of Neuroscience & Behavior, Department of Psychology, and Department of Biology at Barnard, as well as the Department of Psychology and the the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia. Within Columbia’s Department of Psychology, the Social Cognitive & Neural Sciences Lab and Social Neuroscience Lab tackle cognitive and behavioral questions. The Zuckerman Institute brings together researchers from across Columbia and Barnard in a cross-disciplinary axis for research on the science of the brain and mind. Columbia’s Medical Center’s Department of Neuroscience oversees the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, the Kavli Institute for Brain Science, and the Grossman Center for the Statistics of the Mind. Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry also hosts the Clinical Cognitive Computational Neuroscience Center (C3N). The Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative aims to unite the community of neuroscientists at Columbia University Medical Center, including the the Motor Neuron Center and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain. The Neurological Institute of New York connects many research labs within neurology. 

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Barnard is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in psychology.

8.8% admitted 730–770 Reading, 740–790 Math 3.9+ GPA

An elite private research university rivaling the Ivies, UChicago has about 7,500 undergrads and 11,000 grad students across an undergraduate college, four graduate research divisions, and seven professional schools (in law, business, medicine, public policy, etc.). The university’s urban campus features green quads and classic Collegiate Gothic architecture set into the bookish neighborhood of Hyde Park, an affluent bubble in the midst of Chicago’s South Side. 

Academically, UChicago has long been a powerhouse across most fields; it’s been incredibly influential worldwide in economics, public policy, and other social science fields, but it also has strong programs in physics, mathematics, history, and other fields across the physical sciences and the humanities. (Note that UChicago has no engineering programs outside of molecular engineering.) Often known as “where fun goes to die,” UChicago is known for academic rigor, and although there is still plenty of student life on campus, this is not a party school. UChicago operates on a quarter system (fall, winter, and spring quarters, with an optional summer quarter), not a semester system, so classes move quickly! Like Columbia, UChicago is known for their Core Curriculum, a set of liberal arts requirements across the humanities, social sciences, and STEM that makes up about a third of every student’s undergraduate coursework. About 25% of UChicago students end up double-majoring. UChicago competes in Division III athletics.

UChicago’s Neuroscience Institute offers two versions of the undergraduate major: the BA in Neuroscience provides more flexibility in elective choices outside the major, while the BS in Neuroscience offers a more intensive program of study that requires more advanced neuroscience electives and individual research resulting in a written thesis.

The minor in Computational Neuroscience, integrating mathematics, statistics, computer science, and physics to model neural systems, is intended for both Neuroscience majors and non-majors. The Undergraduate Training Program in Computational Neuroscience provides an introduction to research in Computational Neuroscience: students will spend a full year working on a funded computational research project under the supervision of a select Neuroscience faculty member.

The Neuroscience Institute also offers a rigorous minor in Neuroscience that combines general education requirements in the biological or physical sciences core courses in neurophysiology and systems neuroscience, plus advanced neuroscience electives. 

Students could also consider a BA in Biological Sciences or a BS in Biological Sciences, both of which offer several different tracks. Majors in the Biology Track take a series of foundational courses that span biological knowledge across fields and scales. They may then explore the breadth of biology with free electives to complete the major or they may specialize in one area of biology through a focused selection of electives; areas of specialization include Cell & Molecular Biology or Cancer Biology. There are also special interdisciplinary tracks that reflect the increasing integration of physics, chemistry, computer science, statistics, public health, and engineering into biology; one interdisciplinary track within the Biological Sciences major is Computational Biology. There is also a minor in Biological Sciences.

The Department of Molecular Engineering offers a BS in Molecular Engineering as well as a minor in Molecular Engineering that is open to undergrads from any program at UChicago. The minor could include study of areas related to neuroscience like systems bioengineering.

UChicago’s BA in Psychology includes coursework in biological psychology, social neuroscience, and other areas of overlap with neuroscience. 

UChicago also offers a new interdiscipinary BA in Cognitive Science that provides students with breadth in the five core disciplines of cognitive science (Computer Science, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Psychology) with additional study in two of those core disciplines and two courses from outside departments.

The Neuroscience Institute at UChicago draws together research faculty from across the College of Biological Sciences, College of Physical Sciences, and the Pritzker School of Medicine, including the departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology, Psychology, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Computer Science, Organismal Biology & Anatomy, Neurology, Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Anesthesiology. There are a wide number of faculty labs working on cognitive science research.

In addition, the Pritzker School of Medicine's Accelerated Medical Scholars Program (AMSP) permits outstanding UChicago undergrads to begin medical school during their fourth year at UChicago. This is a highly competitive, merit-award program. UChicago students can apply for AMSP in their junior year.

UChicago is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. UChicago is also a strong feeder for top medical schools.

! Do not confuse UChicago, a private T10 research university, with the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC), a large public T100 university.

! Note that UChicago is one of the most notorious colleges for selecting a significant amount of their incoming first-year class via binding Early Decision (ED) applications. UChicago offers ED 0 (for students who participated in summer programs on campus), ED I, and ED II. Very few students are admitted as Regular Decision applicants. If UChicago is your first choice, consider applying ED in the fall!

4.0% admitted

Consistently ranked as one of the top five liberal arts colleges in the country, Williams is a small private liberal arts college nestled in the Berkshires, in rural northwestern Massachusetts. The college has about 2,000 undergrad students and just a handful of grad students (about 50 students) in economics and art history. Founded in the 18th century, Williams has one of the largest endowments per student in the country. Williams maintains a special relationship with Oxford and offers a unique option to take tutorial classes modeled on Oxford and Cambridge, with students meeting weekly in pairs with a professor. Williams tends to be supportive of combining multiple majors: more than 45% of students graduate with double or triple majors. Williams competes in Division III athletics, and there’s a fairly big sports culture given the small size of the college.

Williams offers a minor in Neuroscience that can be added to a major in Biology, Psychology, or another discipline. There is also the option for Honors in Neuroscience, which provides students with the opportunity to undertake an original research project under the supervision of one or more of the Neuroscience faculty. Through the minor, students can pursue electives in neuroscience topics like computational neuroscience.

The BA in Biology is a flexible major that could involve electives in neuroscience, neuroethnology, neural regeneration, neural plasticity, interoception, and other topics related to neuroscience.

The BA in Psychology is a popular major at Williams. In addition to introductory courses, students complete electives in at least two of six focus areas: behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, the psychology of education, and social psychology.

Williams also offers a minor in Cognitive Science that combines research and theory from three central disciplines (computer science, cognitive psychology, and philosophy), two closely related disciplines (linguistics and neuroscience), and several more distantly related disciplines (biology, math, anthropology, and others).

Faculty across the Biology, Psychology, and Cognitive Science departments at Williams engage in neuroscience research, running seven research labs related to neuroscience.

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Williams is one of the top five feeders for top PhD programs in psychology, as well as a strong feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences. Adjusted for the size of the student body, Williams is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

8.3% admitted 740–780 Reading, 750–790 Math 3.9+ GPA

Despite Dartmouth’s name, it’s actually classed as a research university, not a college. Dartmouth is the smallest of the eight Ivy League universities, with about 4,500 undergrads and 2,300 grad students. (Princeton, the next smallest Ivy, has about 5,300 undergrads and 3,100 grad students.) Like Princeton, Dartmouth is known for being primarily “undergrad-focused” in comparison to peer research universities. Dartmouth is located in Hanover, a small college town in rural New Hampshire, two hours from Boston. Dartmouth’s campus culture is dominated by Greek life, but also tends to draw outdoorsy students attracted to the easy access to nature. (Dartmouth is one of three colleges to have their own ski area!)

Academically, Dartmouth is particularly known for economics, political science, and other social science fields. Dartmouth operates on a quarter system (fall, winter, spring, and summar quarters), with a uniquely flexible “D-Plan” that allows students to mix quarters taking classes on-campus with quarters doing research on campus or around the world. Dartmouth competes in Division I athletics.

Dartmouth’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers a BA in Neuroscience. As part of the major, students complete courses in cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, cellular & molecular neuroscience, and systems neuroscience, in addition to advanced electives. There is also a minor in Neuroscience.

The same department also offers a BA in Psychology and a minor in Psychology, both of which could involve courses in cognitive neuroscience, the physiological basis of behavior, and other areas related to neuroscience.

Dartmouth’s Department of Biological Sciences offers a BA in Biology that combines foundation courses in cellular biology, genetics, and physiology with an “area of concentration,” which could include neurobiology. Students interested in computational biology might consider the “Biology major modified with Mathematics” jointly offered by the Biological Sciences and Mathematics Departments. There is also a minor in Biology.

Meanwhile, Dartmouth’s Program in Cognitive Science offers an interdisciplinary BA in Cognitive Science that combines core courses in cognitive science, computer science, and linguistics with a focus area in consciousness, decision-making, design, human-AI interaction, intelligence, language & thought, or social interaction networks.

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences sponsors research in three main areas: Social & Affective Neuroscience, Systems & Behavioral Neuroscience, and Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience. The Dartmouth Brain Imaging Center is a research resource shared across four departments in the School of Arts and Sciences, investigators from the Geisel School of Medicine, and collaborators from the White River Junction VA Hospital. The Center for Cognitive Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary community of scientists engaged in cognitive neuroscience education and research. The  Consortium for Interacting Minds links research groups working on the scientific study of human interaction, including Dartmouth’s Computational Social Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. The Center for Open Neuroscience, directed by two Dartmouth professors, provides open-source frameworks, platforms, data and methodologies for neuroscience. 

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Dartmouth is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in psychology. Dartmouth is also one of the top twenty feeders for top medical schools.

4.5% admitted 730–780 Reading, 780–800 Math 3.9+ GPA

The most selective university in Washington, DC, Georgetown was founded just after the Revolutionary War, making it almost as old as the Ivies. Approximately 7,800 undergrads and 12,000 grad students attend this private research university set into the affluent Georgetown neighborhood along the Potomac River on the west side of downtown DC. Affiliated with the Jesuit order of the Catholic Church, Georgetown has retained many aspects of its Catholic identity, although only roughly 40% of undergrads at Georgetown identify as Catholic.

Academically, Georgetown is especially famed for political science, international relations, and public policy, benefitting from its location in the nation’s capital. However, Georgetown also has strong programs in many other fields, including business and the health sciences; a surprisingly high number of Georgetown students are pre-med. Georgetown competes in Division I athletics.

Georgetown’s Department of Biology offers four different undergraduate degrees, one of which is a BA in Neurobiology. Coursework for the major includes a core sequence in neurobiology, synaptic transmission, developmental neurobiology, sensory systems, and neurodisorders in addition to electives from biology, psychology, chemistry, and math. Alternatively, students could consider a broader BA in Biology, with optional concentrations in either Ecology, Evolution, & Behavioral Biology or Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology. There is also a minor in Biology.

Students might also consider the BA in Psychology offered by the Department of Psychology, which combines core courses in cognitive neuroscience and social psychology with electives that contain considerable overlap with neuroscience topics. There is also a minor in Psychology.

The Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science offers an interdisciplinary minor in Cognitive Science that spans neuroscience, linguistics, psychology, computer science, philosophy, anthropology, and beyond.

Faculty in the Department of Neuroscience participate in a wide array of research activities with a focus on understanding both the normal and injured nervous system. The Center for Neural Injury and Recovery promotes research in areas related to central nervous system injury and recovery, neurodegeneration, nervous system plasticity, and the impact of traumatic brain injuries.

6.0% admitted 700–770 Reading, 690–780 Math 3.9+ GPA

Colby is an elite private liberal arts college with approximately 2,300 undergrad students. Located in the college town of Waterville, Maine, Colby has a rural feel; Portland is about 1.5 hours by car to the north, while Boston is about three hours by car to the south. Whereas Bowdoin (another elite LAC) is located on the coast of Maine, Colby is about one hour’s drive inland. 

Academically, Colby is particularly strong in economics, international relations, environmental sciensmce, and interdiscipinary approaches. Colby uses a 4-1-4 academic calendar comprising two semesters broken by a flexible one-month term in January (the “Jan-plan”), during which students can choose between taking a more atypical class, pursuing research, studying abroad, doing an internship off-campus, or other exciting activities. Athletics play a significant role in student life (similar to Williams), and the campus culture is fairly preppy. Colby competes in Division III athletics.

Colby offers two main ways to focus on neuroscience. Because “Colby’s philosophy is that sound interdisciplinary work begins with a strong disciplinary foundation,” their programs ensure that students have foundations either in the discipline of Biology or in the discipline of Psychology.

Accordingly, one of the two pathways to study neuroscience at Colby is as a Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience, earning a BA in Biology: Neuroscience. Students in this major will take foundational courses in biology, including field biology and cellular biology, in addition to chemistry, mathematics, and a selection of computer science, statistics, psychology, or sociology. Students will then take higher-level neuroscience classes and at least two psychology classes, studying neuroscience from a biological perspective with a focus on cellular, molecular, and physiological processes.

Alternatively, students could also consider other concentrations within the Biology major: Cell & Molecular Biology, Computational Biology (especially for students interested in computational neuroscience), or General Biology.

Students who wish to focus on the relationship between the brain and behavior can instead choose to pursue the Neuroscience concentration within the Psychology department, earning a BA in Psychology: Neuroscience. Students in this major take at least four Biology courses in addition to a range of Psychology courses. Colby does not offer a Cognitive Science major, but students can find some limited cognitive neuroscience courses within the Psychology major. Students interested in computational neuroscience could also consider the concentration in Computational Psychology within the Psychology major.

Several professors at Colby run research labs related to neuroscience, including behavioral neuroscience and computational cognitive neuroscience.

Colby students pursuing medical school are elibile to apply to the MD Early Assurance Program at Tufts’ School of Medicine using the Maine Track, which allows sophomores from certain Maine colleges to secure early admission to Tufts’ School of Medicine (provided that they later meet MCAT requirements).

Adjusted for the size of the student body, Colby is a strong feeder for top PhD programs in the biological sciences.

6.8% admitted 720–760 Reading, 740–790 Math 3.9+ GPA