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General Cognitive Science

Types of Degrees General Cognitive Science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Cognitive Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	2,945
Master’s Degree	96
Doctor’s Degree	70

What General Cognitive Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Cognitive Science build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Cognitive Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in General Cognitive Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a General Cognitive Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to General Cognitive Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Cognitive Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Cognitive Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Clinical trial management software	Data base user interface and query software	✓
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Cognitive Science graduates include:

• Military Science Teacher
• Flight Simulation Instructor
• Foreign Student Adviser Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• University Teacher
• Lecturer
• Naval Science Teacher
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Survey Research Teacher
• Packaging Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Cognitive Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	53.4%
Master’s degree	12.0%
Postsecondary certificate	7.7%
Some college courses	6.2%
Post-doctoral training	6.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.7%
Doctoral degree	3.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Cognitive Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.6% of General Cognitive Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,040	65.6%
Men	1,071	34.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Cognitive Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	834	26.8%
Asian	1,087	34.9%
Hispanic or Latino	426	13.7%
Black or African American	108	3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Two or More Races	200	6.4%
Race Unknown	78	2.5%
International Students	370	11.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Cognitive Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Cognitive Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,058
4 years	$67,809
5 years	$79,238

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,238 — roughly 72% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in General Cognitive Science Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General Cognitive Science graduates earn a median of $67,809 four years after completion — roughly 78% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Cognitive Science	30.25
Cognitive Science, Other	30.2599
Contemplative Studies/Inquiry	30.2502
Anthrozoology	30.3401
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.0101
Computational Science	30.3001
Data Science, General	30.7001
Data Science, Other	30.7099
Marine Sciences	30.3201
Natural Sciences	30.1801
Science, Technology and Society	30.1501

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.