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2023 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (With Aid)

34 Ranked Colleges
2,768 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Getting Aid” 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.

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The cognitive science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for cognitive science students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 77 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $12,894 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Stanford

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 708 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for cognitive science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UCSD

3

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,407 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend MIT.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cognitive Science Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. 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.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for cognitive science students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Cognitive Science Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 208 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Los Angeles

6

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 24 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Indiana University - Bloomington

7

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 36 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Dallas is $15,526 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at The University of Texas at Dallas

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 143 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #14 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend U-M.

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.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

9

University of California - Davis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 184 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,768 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UC Davis Cognitive Science Report

10
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. SUNY Stony Brook is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

SUNY Stony Brook also took the #18 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Stony Brook is $16,119 for cognitive science students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at SUNY Stony Brook

11
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

With a ranking of #11, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 38 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $15,296 for cognitive science students with aid.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Yale Cognitive Science Report

12
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #12, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students with aid list, Rice has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $16,076 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Rice University

13

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #24 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $12,209 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

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 1.4% 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Irvine

14
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $25,046 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full UPenn Cognitive Science Report

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

16
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 49 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $14,257 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UGA

17
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rutgers New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 46 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $23,035 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Rutgers New Brunswick Cognitive Science Report

18
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Delaware is a large public school situated in Newark, Delaware. It awarded 75 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Delaware is $18,967 for cognitive science students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of Delaware

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

CU - Boulder not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $20,967 for cognitive science students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at CU - Boulder

20

With a ranking of #20, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 52 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $26,921 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Cognitive Science at WUSTL

21

University of California - Merced ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,691 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Merced.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Merced

22

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 140 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,930 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Santa Cruz

23
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $19,970 for cognitive science students with aid per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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.

Full Vanderbilt Cognitive Science Report

24
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Tufts also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $37,494 for cognitive science students with aid per year to attend Tufts University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Tufts

25
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #25, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 20 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #6 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $36,775 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Cognitive Science Report

Notes and References

References

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