by our College Data Analytics Team
[Cognitive Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/cognitive-science/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a cognitive science degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find where cognitive science graduates earn the most.
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Below are the schools whose cognitive science graduates go on to earn the most.
Stanford University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid cognitive science graduates in California. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career cognitive science graduates from Stanford University make a median of around $105,695 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of California Berkeley earned it the #2 place for cognitive science. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a public institution. Early-career cognitive science graduates from University Of California Berkeley make a median of around $100,651 per year.
A rank of #3 makes University Of California Los Angeles one of the highest-paying schools for cognitive science. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. Cognitive Science graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of about $78,267 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of California San Diego earned it the #4 place for cognitive science. Located in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a public institution. Early-career cognitive science graduates from University Of California San Diego make a median of around $85,159 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in cognitive science will find them at University Of California Santa Cruz, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a public institution. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of California Santa Cruz typically earn about $76,561 annually.
University Of California Merced ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying cognitive science schools. Located in the suburb of Merced, University Of California Merced is a public institution. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of California Merced typically earn about $57,358 annually.
University Of California Davis landed the #7 spot for cognitive science salaries this year. University Of California Davis is a public school located in the suburb of Davis. Early-career cognitive science graduates from University Of California Davis make a median of around $42,342 per year.
University Of Southern California landed the #8 spot for cognitive science salaries this year. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Cognitive Science graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of about $34,295 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries cognitive science graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 8 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.