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2023 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (Income $0-$30k)

34 Ranked Colleges
2,768 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 2,768 people earned their degree in cognitive science, making the major the 238th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in cognitive science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent cognitive science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the cognitive science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Cognitive Science Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (Income $0-$30k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 77 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Stanford University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 34 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT also took the #2 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $5,193 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 72 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UPenn has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $580 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of Pennsylvania

4
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Yale also took the #16 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $961 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Yale Cognitive Science Report

5
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $4,443 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Rice University

6
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt also took the #13 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $3,176 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Vanderbilt University

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 143 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full U-M Cognitive Science Report

8
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $2,084 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins

9

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Washington University in St Louis

10

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 265 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley

11
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,122 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Tufts University

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 208 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #9 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - Los Angeles

13

University of California - San Diego came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 708 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,823 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - San Diego

14

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 24 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Indiana University - Bloomington

15
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $16,456 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Carnegie Mellon University

16
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vassar is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar also took the #21 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar is $10,535 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Vassar College

17

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

18

University of California - Davis landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 184 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #17 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Davis

19
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

URichmond also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $8,010 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Richmond Cognitive Science Report

20
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. SUNY Stony Brook is a large public school situated in Stony Brook, New York. It awarded 4 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Stony Brook, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stony Brook University is $11,863 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SUNY Stony Brook Cognitive Science Report

21
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Georgia is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 49 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,303 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of Georgia

22
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 60 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,287 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern California.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Southern California

23

University of California - Irvine landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Irvine

24

University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado Boulder is $13,141 for cognitive science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at CU - Boulder

25

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Dallas is $11,070 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UT Dallas Cognitive Science Report

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