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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Cognitive Science

63 Ranked Colleges
2,768 Degrees Awarded
$36,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 “Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major” ranking looked at 63 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in cognitive science. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in cognitive science.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major

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

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 708 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Cognitive Science at UCSD

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Berkeley

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Cognitive Science at UCLA

4

Out of the 63 schools in the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 184 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UC Davis Cognitive Science Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Cruz. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended 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.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at U-M

7
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 77 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Cognitive Science Report

8
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. UD is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.1% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UD

9
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 72 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 UPenn

10

University of California - Merced landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. UC 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.

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

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Merced

11
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 60 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 USC Cognitive Science Report

12

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #12. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full WUSTL Cognitive Science Report

13
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Georgia Cognitive Science Report

14
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, this large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 93%.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Cognitive Science Report

15
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 Tufts University

15
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Rice University 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.

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

Read more about Cognitive Science at Rice

17
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Yale University

17

Case Western Reserve University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University

17
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #17, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

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

Full Johns Hopkins Cognitive Science Report

20

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 36 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 3.8% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UT Dallas

21

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 34 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cognitive Science Report

22
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 32 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full Vanderbilt Cognitive Science Report

23

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #23. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 full report on Cognitive Science at Indiana University - Bloomington

24

University of California - Irvine ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. 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.

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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Cognitive Science Report

25
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #25. Carnegie Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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 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. 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%.

Full Carnegie Mellon Cognitive Science Report

25
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Marquette University is a fairly large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 20 ’s cognitive science 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Marquette

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