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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Cognitive Science

63 Ranked Colleges
2,768 Degrees Awarded
$35,300 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” ranking.

Cognitive Science is the 238th most popular major in the country with 2,768 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” ranking looked at 63 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in cognitive science. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in cognitive science.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major

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

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Cognitive Science

1

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 708 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

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 1.0% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UCSD

2

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Merced landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 67 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 University of California - Merced

3
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Occidental College landed the #3 spot on the list. Oxy is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Occidental College

4
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vassar College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 17 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Vassar

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 140 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 85%.

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

6
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Scripps is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Scripps Cognitive Science Report

7

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 265 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley

8
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Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Rice

9
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Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #9. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Stanford University Cognitive Science Report

10
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Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 5 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 2.5% 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 Beloit College

11

University of California - Davis ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 184 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 UC Davis Cognitive Science Report

12
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Pomona is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 6 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Pomona College Cognitive Science Report

13

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Cognitive Science Report

14
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Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #14, Hampshire College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 3 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Hampshire College

15
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University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 75 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Cognitive Science at UD

16
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Carleton College

17
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Swarthmore College

18
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Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. 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.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 92%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Tufts

19

Case Western Reserve University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University

20
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #20, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Cambridge, 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 34 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

21
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Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #21. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 52 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national 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. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Washington University in St Louis

22
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University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

University of Evansville ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. This small school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 5 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UE

23
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George Fox University
Newberg, Oregon

George Fox University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. GFU is a small school located in Newberg, Oregon that handed out 10 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full George Fox University Cognitive Science Report

24
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Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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 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 University Cognitive Science Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major 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.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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