2023 Most Focused Colleges for Cognitive Science
63
Ranked Colleges
2,776
Degrees Awarded
$35,300
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major” ranking analyzed 63 colleges that offered a degree in cognitive science. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their cognitive science program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Cognitive Science Schools
The cognitive science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 708 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Full UCSD Cognitive Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Merced. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 67 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Full University of California - Merced Cognitive Science Report
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 a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 14 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
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 more about Cognitive Science at Occidental College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vassar College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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. 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 College
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. 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.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Cognitive Science Report
Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #6. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
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 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 more about Cognitive Science at Scripps
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 265 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley
Rice University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 43 ’s cognitive science degrees 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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Rice Cognitive Science Report
Stanford University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 77 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Cognitive Science at Stanford
Beloit College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 90%. 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.
Full Beloit Cognitive Science Report
University of California - Davis landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 184 students 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.
Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Davis
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.
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. 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 Pomona College
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 208 students in 2020-2021.
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 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 UCLA
Hampshire College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Hampshire College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Cognitive Science at Hampshire College
University of Delaware ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. 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.
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 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%.
Full University of Delaware Cognitive Science Report
Carleton College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Carleton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 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 Carleton College
Swarthmore College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Swarthmore College is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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.
Full Swarthmore College Cognitive Science Report
Tufts University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. 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. 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Cognitive Science at Tufts University
Case Western Reserve University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, Ohio 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read more about Cognitive Science at Case Western
Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. 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 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%. 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.
Read full report on Cognitive Science at MIT
Washington University in St Louis ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 52 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 94%.
Read more about Cognitive Science at Washington University in St Louis
With a ranking of #22, University of Evansville did quite well on the 2023 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.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Full UE Cognitive Science Report
George Fox University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Newberg, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’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%.
Read more about Cognitive Science at George Fox University
Yale University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 38 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Yale University Cognitive Science Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #25. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 143 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Cognitive Science Report