2026 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in cognitive science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Cognitive Science Schools
Our analysis ranked Vanderbilt University the best value for a degree in cognitive science in Tennessee. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,498. Cognitive Science graduates carry a median of $13,975 in student loans. Soon after graduation, cognitive science degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $38,752. That is a strong return on a $13,975 median debt. Vanderbilt University admits about 6% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
[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.
