by our College Data Analytics Team
[Cognitive Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/cognitive-science/cognitive-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for cognitive science students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the cognitive science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Rice University, our #1 best value for cognitive science in Texas. Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. In-state tuition and fees average $61,247. Students borrow a median of $13,000 to complete the cognitive science program here. Early-career cognitive science graduates make about $47,459. Set against $13,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Rice University admits about 8% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Dallas came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value cognitive science schools. The University Of Texas At Dallas is a very large public school located in the city of Richardson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,644, compared with $40,144 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,531 to complete the cognitive science program here. Cognitive Science graduates of The University Of Texas At Dallas earn a median of $44,752 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.