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2023 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (Income $30-$48k)

34 Ranked Colleges
2,768 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 2,768 people earned their degree in cognitive science, making the major the 238th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in cognitive science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent cognitive science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the cognitive science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Cognitive Science Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Cognitive Science Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (Income $30-$48k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 77 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,581 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Cognitive Science Report

2
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

MIT also took the #2 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $-2,603 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MIT. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

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. 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 MIT

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $1,938 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UPenn

4
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $3,083 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Yale University.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7% 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 Yale University Cognitive Science Report

5
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Washington University in St Louis

6

University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 265 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - Berkeley

7
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $4,652 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Vanderbilt

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 143 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

9
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 43 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tufts has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,987 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts University.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 92%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Tufts University

10
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 43 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $1,340 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rice.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Rice

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

UCLA also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,891 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UCLA

11
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 38 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also took the #15 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins

13
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 17 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar also took the #21 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vassar is $13,193 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 0.6%, 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 Vassar College

14

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 708 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #8 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $11,176 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Cognitive Science at UCSD

15
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $7,061 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

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 more about Cognitive Science at IU Bloomington

16
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 20 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $13,608 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 96%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Carnegie Mellon University

17

University of California - Davis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 184 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,598 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Cognitive Science Report

18
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #18, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $8,606 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 University of Richmond

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,036 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UIUC

20

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $8,449 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Irvine

21
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. SUNY Stony Brook is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

SUNY Stony Brook not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. It costs about $14,163 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SUNY Stony Brook.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Stony Brook University

22
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 49 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $10,688 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UGA

23
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,345 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full USC Cognitive Science Report

24

University of Colorado Boulder ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. CU - Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 4 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,901 for cognitive science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CU - Boulder.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full CU - Boulder Cognitive Science Report

25

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Richardson, Texas, and it awarded 36 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $12,144 for Cognitive Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at The University of Texas at Dallas

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