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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Cognitive Science

15 Ranked Colleges
44 Degrees Awarded
$35,600 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Cognitive Science is the 172nd most popular major in the country with 2,776 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 44 cognitive science graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in cognitive science. That schools that top this list have a program in cognitive science in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major”.

Top 15 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Cognitive Science

1
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s cognitive science degrees to 7 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Brown University

2
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3

Out of the 15 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #3 spot on the list. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Troy, New York. It awarded 2 doctorate’s cognitive science 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 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 RPI

4
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s cognitive science 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 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at IU Bloomington

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - San Diego

6

Michigan Technological University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Michigan Technological University is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees 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%. 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 Michigan Tech Cognitive Science Report

7

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 4 doctorate’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Cognitive Science at CU - Boulder

8
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #8. SUNY Stony Brook is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 3 doctorate’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Stony Brook University

9
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 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.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins

10
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #10, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 1 doctorate’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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Vanderbilt University Cognitive Science Report

11
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 3 doctorate’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 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at New York University

12

University of California - Irvine ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Irvine

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 more about Cognitive Science at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

13

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #13. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 67 doctorate’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 full report on Cognitive Science at UC Merced

13
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 43 doctorate’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Cognitive Science at Tufts

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