2026 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in the Southeast Region
[Cognitive Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/cognitive-science/cognitive-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong cognitive science education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for cognitive science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the cognitive science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools
Leading the list is University Of Georgia, our #1 best value for cognitive science in the Southeast Region. University Of Georgia is a very large public school located in the city of Athens. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $31,688. Students borrow a median of $15,750 to complete the cognitive science program here. Early-career cognitive science graduates make about $41,362. Set against $15,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Vanderbilt University one of the best values for cognitive science. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,498. Typical student debt for cognitive science graduates is $13,975. Early-career cognitive science graduates make about $38,752. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 6%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
