How much debt do UC Irvine neuroscience graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,500, which ranks 7th lowest of 8 neuroscience bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $217 a month over 10 years.

Is a neuroscience degree from UC Irvine worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 94% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 74%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

UC Irvine Neuroscience (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do UC Irvine neuroscience graduates stay in California?

Most do. 92% (33 of 36) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Public university
Irvine, CA
About 55 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UC Irvine neuroscience graduates earn less than graduates of most neuroscience programs nationally, $21,818 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $20,500 in federal loans, close to the national median of $22,927. Several California programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$21,8182nd percentile of 96 programs nationally

Median federal debt$20,5007th lowest of 8 California programs

Debt-to-earnings94%California median 67%, national 74%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all neuroscience bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UC Irvine	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$21,818	$30,501	$31,339
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,500	$19,500	$22,927
Debt as share of first-year pay	94%	67%	74%
Programs compared		9	96

Debt and first-year pay at every California neuroscience program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

UC IrvineOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $217 a month, or 11.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (29 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	40–59%

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

92% of graduates (33 of 36) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $21,818 salary here buys what about $19,212 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to neuroscience, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$136,990

Median pay in California. 29,830 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Bottom 10%: $81,320Top 10%: $180,060

Natural Sciences Managers

$210,230

Median pay in California. 14,950 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $130,730Top 10%: $330,050

Biological Technicians

$71,440

Median pay in California. 9,210 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $46,700Top 10%: $121,670

About UC Irvine

In-state tuition and fees	$15,722 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$49,922 / year
Average net price after aid	$14,251 / year
Admission rate	29%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	87%
Undergraduate students	30,197

Neuroscience ranks 43rd of 49 bachelor's programs at UC Irvine by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($87,715), Computer Science ($82,161), and Electrical Engineering ($80,412).

Other neuroscience bachelor's programs near Irvine

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public		$21,818	$20,500
USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	36 mi	$38,063	$15,750
UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	37 mi	$19,286	$19,803
UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	45 mi	$30,501	$17,149

Common questions

The median graduate earns $21,818 one year after graduating. The median across neuroscience bachelor's programs in California is $30,501.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the neuroscience program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Neuroscience bachelor's programs in California, ranked9 programs by pay and debt Neuroscience bachelor's programs in the US, ranked96 programs by pay and debt All UC Irvine programs, ranked49 programs by pay and debt