by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 22 U.S. colleges awarded 425 degrees and certificates in Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 77% of graduates. College Factual ranks 13 schools in its 2027 Best Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $34,806 one year after completing, rising to $58,844 after four years.
A major in Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics involves the study of Cognitive Psychology And Psycholinguistics. A Program That Focuses On The Scientific Study Of The Mechanisms And Processes Of Learning And Thinking, And Associated Information Encoding, Decoding, Processing And Transmitting Systems. Includes Instruction In Theories Of Cognition And Intelligence; Studies Of Cognitive Processes Such As Memory, Sensation, Perception, Pattern Recognition, Problem Solving, And Conceptual Thinking; Cybernetics; Psycholinguistics; And The Study Of Biological And Social Communications Mechanisms And Processes.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics is a widely-pursued major, with 425 degrees awarded annually. 22 colleges award cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics degrees, an average of 19 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 54.
By level, the 425 awards include 329 bachelor’s degrees, 70 master’s degrees and 26 doctorates.
Women earned 72% of cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics degrees and certificates in the latest year (307 of 425). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (126) and Hispanic or Latino (90), and international students earned 75.
College Factual ranks 13 schools in its 2027 Best Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics Schools ranking, including 11 for bachelor’s degrees, 4 for master’s degrees and 3 for doctorates. It also ranks cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics schools within 9 states. In all, 22 colleges offer cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics credential is the bachelor’s degree: 329 of the 425 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics call most for Reading Comprehension, Active Listening and Speaking, and for knowledge of English Language, Education and Training and Psychology, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
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How long a cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 329 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 70 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 26 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics, at 33.1%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 33.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 25.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 17.5% |
| Master’s degree | 8.4% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 4.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.6% |
| Some college courses | 2.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.7% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.3% |
Source: O*NET Online.
11 occupations are related to Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics, with an average median salary of $105,599; the strongest outlook belongs to Compliance Managers, at 13.0% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Psychology Professor, I/O Psychology Professor (Industrial/Organizational Psychology Professor), Associate Professor and Instructor.
The occupation related to cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics with the most projected jobs is Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary, at 513,614.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 513,614 | -3.0% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Clinical Neuropsychologists | 216,013 | 8.9% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Neuropsychologists | 186,493 | 6.5% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics graduates earn a median $34,806 one year after completing their program, $58,844 after four years and $59,483 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $34,806 |
| 4 years | $58,844 |
| 5 years | $59,483 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to cognitive psychology & psycholinguistics is Wind Energy Development Managers, with a median salary of $169,952.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,479 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| Neuropsychologists | $83,690 |
Cognitive Psychology & Psycholinguistics has 9 similar majors in the Psychology field, which together award 24,078 degrees a year; the largest are Research and Experimental Psychology, Other (14,964), Experimental Psychology (5,021) and Developmental and Child Psychology (1,864). Browse all Psychology majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 14,964 |
| Experimental Psychology | 5,021 |
| Developmental and Child Psychology | 1,864 |
| Behavioral Neuroscience | 1,447 |
| Social Psychology | 458 |
| Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology | 211 |
| Psychopharmacology | 74 |
| Personality Psychology | 23 |
| Comparative Psychology | 16 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
