How much debt do UIC neuroscience graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $17,562, which ranks 2nd lowest of 5 neuroscience bachelor's programs in Illinois. That works out to about $186 a month over 10 years.

Is a neuroscience degree from UIC worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 67% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 74%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 20% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Illinois programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

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

Q: Do UIC neuroscience graduates stay in Illinois?

Most do. 93% (53 of 57) were working in Illinois one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Public university
Chicago, IL
About 95 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UIC neuroscience graduates earn less than graduates of most neuroscience programs nationally, $26,074 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $17,562 in federal loans, less than at 78% of neuroscience programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Illinois median of $30,489.

First-year earnings$26,07421st percentile of 96 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$65,663152% more than year one

Median federal debt$17,5622nd lowest of 5 Illinois programs

Debt-to-earnings67%Illinois median 76%, national 74%

How it compares

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

	UIC	Illinois	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$26,074	$30,489	$31,339
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$65,663	$62,885	$67,515
Median federal debt at graduation	$17,562	$25,000	$22,927
Debt as share of first-year pay	67%	76%	74%
Programs compared		6	96

Five years out, UIC graduates earn about the national figure and about $2,778 more than the Illinois median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Illinois neuroscience program

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

UICOther Illinois programs

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

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 152% between the first and fifth year.

UIC grads, year 1$26,074

UIC grads, year 5$65,663

All Illinois neuroscience grads, year 5$62,885

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $186 a month, or 8.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (52 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

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

93% of graduates (53 of 57) were working in Illinois one year after graduating. Prices in the Chicago area are about 4% above the national average, so a $26,074 salary here buys what about $25,169 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

$82,330

Median pay in Illinois. 4,700 people work in this job in Illinois. 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%: $59,550Top 10%: $143,890

Natural Sciences Managers

$159,670

Median pay in Illinois. 2,810 people work in this job in Illinois. 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%: $85,210Top 10%: $281,660

Biological Technicians

$55,790

Median pay in Illinois. 790 people work in this job in Illinois. 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%: $36,230Top 10%: $79,440

About UIC

In-state tuition and fees	$14,338 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$29,884 / year
Average net price after aid	$10,974 / year
Admission rate	77%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	62%
Undergraduate students	22,170

Neuroscience ranks 44th of 46 bachelor's programs at UIC by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($78,040), Nursing ($75,045), and Electrical Engineering ($72,926).

Other neuroscience bachelor's programs near Chicago

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UICChicago, IL · public		$26,074	$17,562
Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	9 mi	$26,251	$25,000
Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · private nonprofit	12 mi	$35,334	$16,948
North Central CollegeNaperville, IL · private nonprofit	26 mi	$26,908	$23,323

Common questions

The median graduate earns $26,074 one year after graduating and $65,663 five years after. The median across neuroscience bachelor's programs in Illinois is $30,489.

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 Illinois 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 Illinois, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Neuroscience bachelor's programs in the US, ranked96 programs by pay and debt All UIC programs, ranked46 programs by pay and debt