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Neurobiology and Neurosciences at University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
38 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
47
Optimistic
38
Base Case
29
Pessimistic
Earnings $25,034/yr (-23% vs median)
AI Risk High (48% exposed)
Job Market Large (37,400 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $883K $401K $187K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 15.2x 6.9x 3.2x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 4.9x 2.2x 1.0x
Viable Career Paths 5 of 5 5 of 5 5 of 5
DegreeWorth Score 47 38 29

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$58,240
Out-of-state: $181,348
Median Debt at Graduation
$19,000
9.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$63,496
154% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 37,400 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists $100,590 9,600 +8.7% 52%
Biological scientists, all other $93,330 4,800 +1.2% 49%
Biological science teachers, postsecondary $83,460 5,400 +7.3% 47%
Biological technicians $52,000 9,100 +3.5% 42%

Compare & Explore

Neurobiology and Neurosciences at Other Schools

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($48,125) Fordham University ($47,985) Harvard University ($46,993) Macalester College ($45,450) Union College ($44,927) Trinity College ($44,823) Wellesley College ($44,687) Middlebury College ($44,585)

Other Majors at University of California-Santa Cruz

Computer Engineering ($79,969) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($78,842) Computer Science ($75,150) Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($55,856) Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management ($55,773) Business/Managerial Economics ($52,029) Economics ($50,518) Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences ($45,088)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Neurobiology and Neurosciences at University of California-Santa Cruz?
This program scores 38/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 47 (optimistic) to 29 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Neurobiology and Neurosciences career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $186,768 (pessimistic) to $883,472 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates?
The career paths mapped to Neurobiology and Neurosciences have roughly 37,400 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Neurobiology and Neurosciences at University of California-Santa Cruz worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 6.9x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 3.2x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.