2026 Best Cognitive Science Master’s Degree Schools
Cognitive Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 77 schools to find the best for cognitive science students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Cognitive Science in the United States
Below are the best cognitive science schools at the master’s degree level, ranked by the quality of the education they deliver.
Top Schools in Cognitive Science
Our analysis ranked Massachusetts Institute Of Technology the best school in the country for a degree in cognitive science. Located in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. About 24 cognitive science degrees were awarded at Massachusetts Institute Of Technology in the most recent year. Graduates of the cognitive science program make about $113,129 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $13,516 to complete this degree.
See the full cognitive science program report for Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
Other Cognitive Science Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare Cognitive Science rankings across degree levels:
View All Cognitive Science Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 77 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
