Neurobiology and Neurosciences at Drew University

A $28,881 starting salary with $25,000 in debt isn't catastrophic, but it places Drew's neuroscience program in the bottom half both nationally and within New Jersey's limited field of four programs. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87 means graduates are borrowing nearly a full year's salary—manageable but tight for someone likely headed to graduate school or medical school, which most neuroscience majors pursue.

The small sample size here is crucial context. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outliers working retail jobs or taking gap years before med school applications could skew these numbers significantly. That said, even accounting for statistical noise, Drew lags behind Princeton's neuroscience program by about $4,000 annually, and sits below the state median of $30,764. For a program at a school with a 69% admission rate, you'd hope for better initial outcomes given the $25,000 debt load.

If your child is using this degree as a stepping stone to graduate education—the typical path for neuroscience majors—the relatively modest debt matters more than the first-year earnings. But if they're hoping to work immediately after graduation, these numbers suggest limited immediate career options. The key question: is Drew's undergraduate preparation worth the premium over state schools, especially given these middling placement outcomes?