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2023 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science

34 Ranked Colleges
2,776 Degrees Awarded
$19,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 2,776 people earned their degree in cognitive science, making the major the 172nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, cognitive science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,216 and had an average of $16,566 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in cognitive science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent cognitive science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the cognitive science program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Cognitive Science Schools

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Cognitive Science Schools.

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. SUNY Stony Brook is a public institution located in Stony Brook, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Stony Brook also took the #18 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stony Brook University is $16,119 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY Stony Brook Cognitive Science Report

2
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Georgia. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $14,257 for Cognitive Science students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of Georgia Cognitive Science Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - 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.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students list, CU - Boulder has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CU - Boulder is $20,967 for Cognitive Science 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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 be in good company if you decide to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 46 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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

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

Read more about Cognitive Science at Rutgers New Brunswick

6

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

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,526 for cognitive science students.

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%.

Full The University of Texas at Dallas Cognitive Science Report

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking, coming in at #7. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for cognitive science students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking, coming in at #8. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UD is $18,967 for cognitive science students.

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 more about Cognitive Science at University of Delaware

9
GFU crest
George Fox University
Newberg, Oregon

George Fox University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Newberg, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

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

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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at GFU

10

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the 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 made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,023 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend UCLA.

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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - Los Angeles

11

University of California - San Diego landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $15,240 for cognitive science students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,209 for cognitive science students per year to attend UC Irvine.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Cognitive Science Report

13

University of California - Berkeley ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 265 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for Cognitive Science students.

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 University of California - Berkeley

14

University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. UC 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for Cognitive Science students.

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

Full UC Davis Cognitive Science Report

15

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking, coming in at #15. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 140 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for Cognitive Science 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 UC Santa Cruz

16
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #16, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Rice 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.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $16,076 for cognitive science students.

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 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%. 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

With a ranking of #17, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 143 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $14,878 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend U-M.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 full report on Cognitive Science at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

18

University of California - Merced landed the #18 spot on the 2023 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.

The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $13,691 for Cognitive Science students.

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 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Merced

19
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking, coming in at #19. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 77 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $12,894 for Cognitive Science students.

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. 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%. 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 more about Cognitive Science at Stanford University

20
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

With a ranking of #20, New York University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. 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.

NYU also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for NYU is $38,569 for cognitive science students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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.

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. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 8 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

URichmond also took the #23 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $27,050 for cognitive science students per year to attend University of Richmond.

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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 more about Cognitive Science at URichmond

22

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $16,407 for Cognitive Science students.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cognitive Science Report

23
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking, coming in at #23. 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.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $36,775 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Carnegie Mellon University

24
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $19,970 for Cognitive Science students.

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

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Vanderbilt

25

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking. RPI is a private not-for-profit institution located in Troy, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

RPI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $33,937 for Cognitive Science students per year to attend RPI.

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 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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