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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Cognitive Science

63 Ranked Colleges
2,776 Degrees Awarded
$35,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major” ranking - to help you make that 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major” ranking analyzed 63 colleges that offered a degree in cognitive science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular cognitive science programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 708 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 University of California - San Diego

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 265 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of California - Berkeley

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 208 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UCLA

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 184 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - Davis

5

Out of the 63 schools in the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 140 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

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 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California - Santa Cruz

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 143 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at U-M

7
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 77 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Cognitive Science at Stanford University

8
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. Located in Newark, Delaware, this large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UD

9
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at UPenn

10

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #10. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

11
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #11, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 60 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at USC

12
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Washington University in St Louis Cognitive Science Report

13
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 49 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.9% 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%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at University of Georgia

14
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #14. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Cognitive Science at Rutgers New Brunswick

15
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cognitive science degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.

Full Tufts University Cognitive Science Report

15
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 43 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Rice Cognitive Science Report

17

With a ranking of #17, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 38 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Full Case Western Reserve University Cognitive Science Report

17
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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

17
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 38 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins University

20

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 36 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Cognitive Science at The University of Texas at Dallas

21
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. MIT 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.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 0.3% 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

22
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s cognitive science degrees to qualified students.

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. 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt Cognitive Science Report

23
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #23, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. IU 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at IU Bloomington

23
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s cognitive science students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Cognitive Science at Brown

25

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Cognitive Science Major ranking, coming in at #25. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 23 ’s cognitive science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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

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