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2023 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (With Aid)

34 Ranked Colleges
2,776 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Cognitive Science is the 172nd most popular major in the country with 2,776 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in cognitive science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great cognitive science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the cognitive science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for cognitive science students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $12,894 for cognitive science students with aid.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Stanford University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 708 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for cognitive science students with aid.

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

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - San Diego

3
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 #3 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 34 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students with aid list, MIT has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,407 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 265 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for cognitive science students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 208 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

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%. 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 - Los Angeles

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 24 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Indiana University - Bloomington

7

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,526 for cognitive science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UT Dallas

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 143 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #14 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for cognitive science students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Cognitive Science Report

9

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. 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 with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,768 for cognitive science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 University of California - Davis

10
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stony Brook University is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 4 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Stony Brook, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,119 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend Stony Brook University.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at SUNY Stony Brook

11
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $15,296 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Yale University Cognitive Science Report

12
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our cognitive science students with aid list, Rice has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rice University is $16,076 for cognitive science students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Rice University

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

UC Irvine also took the #24 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $12,209 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Cognitive Science Report

14
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 72 ’s cognitive science 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 University of Pennsylvania is $25,046 for cognitive science students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Pennsylvania

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UIUC

16
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 49 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $14,257 for cognitive science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Georgia

17
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #17, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 46 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $23,035 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Rutgers New Brunswick

18
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Delaware is $18,967 for cognitive science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UD Cognitive Science Report

19

University of Colorado Boulder ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. CU - Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 4 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

CU - Boulder did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $20,967 for Cognitive Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at CU - Boulder

20
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 52 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $26,921 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, 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 Washington University in St Louis

21

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UC Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 67 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $13,691 for cognitive science students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UC Merced

22

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,930 for Cognitive Science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Cognitive Science Report

23
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 32 ’s cognitive science degrees 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 University is $19,970 for cognitive science students with aid.

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 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 full report on Cognitive Science at Vanderbilt

24
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #24, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $37,494 for cognitive science students with aid.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Tufts University

25
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #25, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Cognitive Science Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $36,775 for cognitive science students with aid per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at Carnegie Mellon University

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