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2026 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in Massachusetts

[Cognitive Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/cognitive-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong cognitive science education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for cognitive science students.

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• Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in Massachusetts

2026 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in Massachusetts

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in cognitive science, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Cognitive Science Schools

1

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
Cambridge, MA

$62,396 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,516 Avg Student Debt

$143,372 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in cognitive science, no school beat Massachusetts Institute Of Technology this year. Located in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,396. Students borrow a median of $13,516 to complete the cognitive science program here. Soon after graduation, cognitive science degree recipients from Massachusetts Institute Of Technology generally make around $113,129. Set against $13,516 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.

2

Tufts University
Medford, MA

$70,704 In-State Tuition & Fees

$18,000 Avg Student Debt

$83,214 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tufts University earned it the #2 place for cognitive science. Set in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $70,704. Students borrow a median of $18,000 to complete the cognitive science program here. Early-career cognitive science graduates make about $75,672. That is a strong return on a $18,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 12%.

View All Cognitive Science Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 5 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.