2024 Best Cognitive Science Schools
32
Colleges in the United States
2,776
Cognitive Science Degrees Awarded
$39,216
Avg Early-Career Salary
Cognitive Science isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #172 in popularity out of 395 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.
In 2024, College Factual analyzed 32 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,776 degrees in cognitive science to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Cognitive Science School
Your choice of cognitive science school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for cognitive science schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Cognitive Science Rankings by Degree Level
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 the Best Cognitive Science Schools.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
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.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for Cognitive Science in the United States
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the cognitive science degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Schools in Cognitive Science
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
77
Cognitive Science Degrees Awarded
Every student who is interested in cognitive science has to look into Stanford University. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were about 77 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from Stanford University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In MA
34
Cognitive Science Degrees Awarded
Every student pursuing a degree in cognitive science needs to look into Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means MIT is a great school overall.
There were about 34 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at MIT in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Pennsylvania is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in cognitive science. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were approximately 72 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the cognitive science program at University of Pennsylvania earn $21,508 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from University of Pennsylvania
University of California - Berkeley is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in cognitive science. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were approximately 265 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Cognitive Science degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley get an earnings boost of about $23,079 over the average earnings of cognitive science majors.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from University of California - Berkeley
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CT
38
Cognitive Science Degrees Awarded
Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.
There were about 38 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from Yale University
UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 708 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the cognitive science program report average early career wages of $39,060.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from University of California - San Diego
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were about 208 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the cognitive science major at University of California - Los Angeles get $4,562 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from University of California - Los Angeles
USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 60 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Cognitive Science degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of approximately $10,152 over the average earnings of cognitive science majors.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from University of Southern California
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In MO
52
Cognitive Science Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.
There were about 52 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from Washington University in St Louis
Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.
There were about 43 cognitive science students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year. Cognitive Science degree recipients from Rice University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,369 above the typical earnings of cognitive science majors.
More information about a degree in cognitive science from Rice University
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