College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science

34 Ranked Colleges
2,768 Degrees Awarded
$19,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

This year’s “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered a degree in cognitive science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality cognitive science programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Cognitive Science Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Cognitive Science Schools

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science

1
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stony Brook University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Stony Brook University is a large public school situated in Stony Brook, New York. It awarded 4 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Stony Brook not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $16,119 for cognitive science students per year to attend Stony Brook University.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full Stony Brook University Cognitive Science Report

2
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Georgia. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $14,257 for Cognitive Science students.

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 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UGA

3

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #3 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for cognitive science students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full IU Bloomington Cognitive Science Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Colorado Boulder. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 4 ’s cognitive science degrees 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 University of Colorado Boulder is $20,967 for cognitive science students.

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

5
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers New Brunswick is $23,035 for Cognitive Science students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Cognitive Science Report

6

With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,526 for cognitive science students per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.

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

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UT Dallas

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. UIUC 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Cognitive Science students.

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%. 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

8
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. UD is located in Newark, Delaware and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Delaware is $18,967 for cognitive science students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Delaware

9
GFU crest
George Fox University
Newberg, Oregon

George Fox University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Located in Newberg, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for George Fox University is $30,839 for Cognitive Science students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at GFU

10

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 208 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #9 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend UCLA.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full UCLA Cognitive Science Report

11

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking, coming in at #11. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 708 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #8 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for cognitive science students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 University of California - San Diego

12

University of California - Irvine ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #24 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for cognitive science students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Irvine Cognitive Science Report

13

University of California - Berkeley landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 265 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley

14

University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 184 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for Cognitive Science students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Davis Cognitive Science Report

15

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 140 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for cognitive science students.

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 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - Santa Cruz

16
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking, coming in at #16. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 43 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rice University is $16,076 for cognitive science students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Rice

17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 143 students in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for Cognitive Science students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor

18

University of California - Merced came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. University of California - Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,691 for cognitive science students per year to attend University of California - Merced.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - Merced

19
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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 University is $12,894 for Cognitive Science students.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 full report on Cognitive Science at Stanford University

20
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students list, NYU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New York University is $38,569 for cognitive science students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 New York University

21
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. University of Richmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 8 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $27,050 for Cognitive Science students.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at URichmond

22

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 34 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,407 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cognitive Science Report

23
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. 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 also took the #6 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $36,775 for cognitive science students per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Carnegie Mellon Cognitive Science Report

24
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 32 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #13 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,970 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend Vanderbilt.

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. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Vanderbilt University

25

With a ranking of #25, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. RPI is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 14 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students list, RPI has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $33,937 for Cognitive Science students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Cognitive Science Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options