Best schools to become a neurosurgeon (2025 Guide)

Are you searching for the best school to become a neurosurgeon? Then you are in the right place. In this article, we will show you all the details you need to know about the best schools to become a neurosurgeon.

Although neurosurgeons are known to carry out surgical operations in the brain, they offer treatments to patients with spinal issues, peripheral neuropathy problems, and other diseases of the nervous system.

In the section below, we will enumerate some schools that offer the best hands-on and practical learning experience in the neurosurgery field to shape the next generation of medical experts.

The list of the best neurosurgeon schools we have compiled below is ranked by their reputation, strength of alumni, facilities, projects, and experience they offer, among other criteria.

Best schools to become a neurosurgeon

Harvard University

Learn more: https://hms.harvard.edu/departments/neurosurgery

The Massachusetts General Hospital neurosurgery residency plan seeks to nurture the next gen of neurosurgical leaders. They have a longstanding and prestigious tradition of educating neurosurgeons who have greatly enriched the field’s clinical and scientific expertise. Their department is vibrant, thriving, and well-positioned to drive and contribute to the growth of neurosurgery in both the clinical and research fields.

Mayo Clinic

Learn more: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/neurosurgery/home/orc-20117096

The Department of Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic is among the biggest in the United States. Annually, the entire spectrum of neurosurgical illnesses and disorders is treated mainly at one location, which guarantees incredible experiential learning.

Many cases are basic neurosurgical issues, including brain cancer, cerebral aneurysms, and spinal disorders. This enables you to become competent in treating common neurosurgical issues.

However, numerous complicated cases are nationally or internationally sent to Mayo neurologists and brain surgeons for diagnosis and management. These complex cases often necessitate an interdisciplinary team approach to patient care, which expands your learning opportunities.

University of California, San Francisco

Learn more: https://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/

The Department of Neurological Surgery at UCSF is home to top doctors and researchers deeply committed to treating people with neurosurgical illnesses and to the pursuit of better treatments and cures. Our goal is to provide superior healthcare services to patients, explore the most beneficial breakthroughs in neuroscience research, and educate tomorrow’s experts in neurosurgery.

According to the U.S. News & World Report, they are the second-best hospital in the United States for neurosurgery and neurology services. They have neurosurgery services at all medical centers in the SF Bay Area, offering a wide range of excellent neurosurgical subspecialty treatments.

Johns Hopkins University

Learn more: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/

The Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery offers world-class care to hundreds of kids and adults annually, many with rare, complicated conditions. Their team of neurologists and neurosurgeons breaks new ground in scientific and medical trials.

The Neurosurgery Residency program at Johns Hopkins aims to provide hands-on experience via cycles in neurosurgery, neurology, and other specialties, along with research projects and client diagnostic care. By providing a well-rounded learning experience, the program seeks to create new players in the neurosurgery field.

Washington University in St. Louis

Learn more: https://neurosurgery.wustl.edu/

The goal of the Department of Neurosurgery at Washington University School of Medicine is to make a positive impact on the lives of our patients, present and future, by delivering excellent, high-quality care.

They do this by:

Devising new expertise to improve the treatment of conditions in the spine and nervous system.
Training tomorrow’s experts in neurosurgical patient care and scientific research.

Their skilled and knowledgeable neurosurgeons offer extensive patient care services, from early diagnosis through hospitalization. Everyone enjoys the team’s approach to patient care, in which seasoned doctors and nurses from a diverse array of subspecialties team up to establish and offer the most adequate treatment for each patient.

Northwestern University

Learn More: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/neurosurgery/

The neurosurgery department at Northwestern University mixes world-class medical services with a compassionate approach to patients suffering from wide and varied range of neurological diseases.

Their faculty is made up of globally renowned surgeons who cover the entire scope of neurosurgical care. Northwestern Neurosurgery students are exposed to more than 4,000 cases every year, including neurotrauma, neuro-oncology, cerebrovascular surgery, functional and epilepsy surgery, in addition to spinal neurosurgery and pediatric neurosurgery.

The diagnostic enterprise of Northwestern Neurosurgery is backed by a rich research facility. The department currently ranks as one of the best in the country for NIH financing and includes both funded neurosurgeons and basic researchers.

University of California – Los Angeles

Learn More: https://www.uclahealth.org/departments/neurosurgery

For more than 33 successive years, U.S. News & World Report has hailed UCLA Neurosurgery as being among the leading neurosurgery programs in the country.

Many physicians in the program consistently rank among “Super Doctors.” Several medical researchers play key roles in clinical neuroscience and neurobiology.

UCLA Neurosurgery faculty deliver top-tier, holistic care. They lead advanced clinical programs in minimally invasive brain and spinal surgery, neuroendoscopy, and neuro-oncology for adult and pediatric brain tumors. They also specialize in cerebrovascular surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery for brain and spinal disorders, and surgery for movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.

Stanford University

Learn More: https://med.stanford.edu/neurosurgery.html

Stanford Department of Neurosurgery is home to 60 top neurosurgeons and research teaching staff. Their neurosurgeons carry out more than 4,000 neurosurgical operations encompassing the complete spectrum of neurological diseases annually. We diagnose, manage, and cure neurological diseases with the accuracy required to restore patients to their lives.

Being among the top-ranked neurosurgery programs in the country, Stanford Neurosurgery offers thorough and humane care for its patients. They are on the frontline of scientific investigation, providing therapeutic strategies not offered elsewhere in the world. The goal of their program is to guide, educate, and train the upcoming generation of neurosurgical experts.

University of Pennsylvania

Learn More: https://www.pennmedicine.org/departments-and-centers/neurosurgery

For more than a century, the University of Pennsylvania has been among America’s top centers for neurosurgery.

While we embrace our prestigious legacy, Penn Neurosurgery is a department that is firmly concerned with the future, a department of neurosurgery transformed to adopt sub-specialization, innovative thinking, and new tech.

Over the past couple of years, they have ventured into a holistic reshaping of our entire department. Their core philosophy has been the cultivation of focused knowledge and experience. They have segued their culture into one that emphasizes deep sub-specialization. They currently work together as a group of highly-focused doctors and scientists who focus on specific areas within neurosurgery.

University of Virginia

Learn More: https://med.virginia.edu/neurosurgery/

The University of Virginia Health System’s Department of Neurosurgery integrates technological advancements, world-renowned healthcare professionals, and a team-based strategy to care and prognosis of illnesses affecting the nervous system.

The department is made up of many subspecialty Centres of Excellence, encompassing a broad range of neurological diseases. Their medical team will evaluate every case offered to them.

Our skilled and committed nursing and admin staff are always available to offer around-the-clock care, assistance, and guidance to patients, families, and referring clinicians.

Best schools to become a neurosurgeon

Best schools to become a neurosurgeon

Harvard University

Mayo Clinic

University of California, San Francisco

Johns Hopkins University