2026 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in Pennsylvania
[Cognitive Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/cognitive-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for cognitive science students.
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2026 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in Pennsylvania
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in cognitive science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools
University Of Pennsylvania tops our 2026 list of the best value cognitive science schools in Pennsylvania. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,686. Students borrow a median of $18,660 to complete the cognitive science program here. Early-career cognitive science graduates make about $84,314. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
A rank of #2 makes Carnegie Mellon University one of the best values for cognitive science. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $65,636 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,529 to complete the cognitive science program here. Early-career cognitive science graduates make about $89,327. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Carnegie Mellon University admits about 12% of applicants.
Lehigh University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in cognitive science, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $64,980. Typical student debt for cognitive science graduates is $23,008. Early-career cognitive science graduates make about $70,321. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 26% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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.
