Neurobiology and Neurosciences at Rhodes College

Rhodes College neuroscience graduates earn $35,556 in their first year—ranking in the 80th percentile among Tennessee programs and outperforming both Vanderbilt and UT-Knoxville in this field. That's nearly $10,000 more than the typical Tennessee neuroscience grad, a significant advantage for students planning to stay in the region. The $19,500 median debt sits right around state norms and translates to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55.

The caveat here is sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could shift considerably year-to-year. Neuroscience is also a field where many students pursue graduate or professional programs, so first-year earnings don't tell the full story if your child is headed to medical school or a PhD program. That said, for students who do enter the workforce directly—whether temporarily or permanently—Rhodes appears to position them well.

For families weighing in-state options, Rhodes delivers stronger immediate earning potential than Tennessee's flagship programs in this major. The combination of solid outcomes and moderate debt makes this a reasonable investment, though the small cohort means you're betting on a limited data set.