2023 Best Value Cognitive Science Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Cognitive Science School for You
In 2020-2021, 2,776 people earned a degree or certificate in cognitive science, making the major the #174 most popular in the United States.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
The Best Value Cognitive Science Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 40 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for cognitive science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Cognitive Science Schools
Our analysis found University of Memphis to be the best value school for cognitive science students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public college with a very large student population.
UofM undergraduate students pay an average of $14,088 in tuition and fees each year.
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Out of the 40 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Stony Brook University landed the # 2 spot on the list. SUNY Stony Brook is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Stony Brook.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SUNY Stony Brook are $28,375 a year.
Full Cognitive Science at Stony Brook University Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great value for cognitive science students. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
UC Berkeley undergraduate students pay an average of $43,980 in tuition and fees each year. On average, cognitive science graduates from UC Berkeley take out $13,683 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $326.
UC Berkeley excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Cognitive Science Schools list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Stanford are $56,169 a year. The average amount in student loans that cognitive science majors at Stanford take out is $9,742.
Stanford also made our Best Cognitive Science Schools list, coming in at #3.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school located in the city of Mankato.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Minnesota State Mankato are $18,200 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Minnesota State Mankato is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Cognitive Science Schools list.
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George Fox University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. GFU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Newberg.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GFU are $38,520 per year.
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MIT are $55,878 a year.
MIT also took the #1 spot in our Best Cognitive Science Schools rankings.
Read full report on Cognitive Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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With a ranking of #8, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cognitive science students. ASU - Tempe is a fairly large public school located in the city of Tempe.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASU - Tempe are $29,438 per year.
Read full report on Cognitive Science at Arizona State University - Tempe
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With a ranking of #9, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cognitive science students. Located in the small city of New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Rutgers New Brunswick are $33,005 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Rutgers New Brunswick is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Cognitive Science Schools list.
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Carnegie Mellon University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cognitive Science Schools list. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon are $58,524 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Carnegie Mellon also is in the top 1% of our Best Cognitive Science Schools ranking.
Full Cognitive Science at Carnegie Mellon University Report
Request InformationCognitive Science by Region
View the Best Value Cognitive Science Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
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Cognitive Science Related Majors for Cognitive Science
Cognitive Science is one of 44 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Cognitive Science
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 34,975 |
| Biological & Physical Science | 30,075 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 9,074 |
| International Studies | 7,368 |
| Nutrition Science | 5,330 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 26 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Allan Ajifo.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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