10 most-viewed neurological surgery residency programs

2025 FREIDA™ data

In 2025, FREIDA™ users tallied more than 18,000 views of neurological surgery residency programs. In this list, we pare the 122 residencies down to the 10 neurological surgery residency programs ranked at the top for user interest.

Rankings are based on identified medical student activity on FREIDA™, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database®, from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2025. FREIDA allows medical students to search for a residency or fellowship from more than 13,000 programs—all accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Specialty description

Neurosurgery is a discipline that focuses on the diagnosis and medical/surgical treatment of disorders of the nervous system. Because the nervous system includes the central, peripheral and autonomic systems, a neurosurgeon may operate on the brain, spine or extremities in a given day or week.

Neurosurgeons operate on patients of all ages, treating diseases ranging from congenital anomalies of the newborn to degenerative disorders of the brain/spine in the aging. Spine, tumors, vascular lesions and infectious pathologies are other frequently encountered pathologies. A neurosurgeon is an expert in the diagnosis of neurological disease, is capable of interpreting a variety of radiological studies, and is able to offer surgical and nonsurgical treatment options.

The 10-most viewed neurological surgery programs

1. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Phoenix) Program

2. UPMC Medical Education Program

3. Barrow Neurological Institute at St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center Program

4. Johns Hopkins University Program

5. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Rochester) Program

6. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Jacksonville) Program

7. University of Miami/Jackson Health System Program

8. Cleveland Clinic Foundation Program

9. University of California (San Diego) Medical Center Program

10. University of Pennsylvania Health System Program