Neuroscience Degree in Rochester, NY — Salary & ROI 2026
Neuroscience degree analysis for Rochester, NY. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$70K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$112K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.7 yrs
in Rochester
Cost of Living
140
index (100 = avg)
Neuroscience in Rochester, NY Overview
Rochester, New York (pop. 211,328) has 13 colleges offering Neuroscience programs. The local cost of living index of 140 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,592/month. Neuroscience has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Brain Imaging and Cognitive Science skills. The adjusted starting salary in Rochester is approximately $70,000, growing to $112,000 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
13
Public Tuition
$13,886/yr
Private Tuition
$56,653/yr
Room & Board
$21,356/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,325/yr
Unemployment
5.8%
Graduation Rate
46%
Neuroscience Salary in Rochester (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Rochester's cost of living index of 140 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Neuroscience salary: $50,000 starting, $80,000 mid-career, $110,000 senior level.Rochester adjustment factor: 1.40x based on the local cost of living index.
Neuroscience ROI Calculator for Rochester
Estimate your return on investment for a Neuroscience degree using local Rochester tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $13,886 | Private avg: $56,653
Rochester avg aid: $10,325/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$140,968
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$21,000
vs HS diploma in Rochester
ROI Payback Period
6.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Rochester
$489,032
Lifetime earnings premium ($630,000) minus total education cost ($140,968)
Student Loan Payoff for Neuroscience in Rochester
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Rochester for Neuroscience
University of Rochester
private
$60,550/yr
$242,200 total
Rochester Institute of Technology
private
$52,756/yr
$211,024 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Monroe Community College
$5,504/yr
Top Employers for Neuroscience in Rochester
Rochester offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Neuroscience graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Rochester Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Neuroscience Job Titles
Neuroscience in Nearby New York Cities
New York City, NY
$83K starting · COL 166
49 colleges
New York, NY
$94K starting · COL 187.2
279 colleges
Oyster Bay, NY
$73K starting · COL 145
11 colleges
Buffalo, NY
$61K starting · COL 122
10 colleges
North Hempstead, NY
$71K starting · COL 141.3
9 colleges
Babylon, NY
$76K starting · COL 152.3
8 colleges
Yonkers, NY
$73K starting · COL 145.3
8 colleges
Huntington, NY
$68K starting · COL 135.6
8 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Rochester
Prompt Engineering
$70K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$133K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$119K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$123K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$115K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$112K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Neuroscience Degree in Rochester — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Neuroscience ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Rochester.