2026 Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools
There are 77 colleges that offer a degree in Cognitive Science. Ranked by yearly graduations, here are the most popular below:
Finding the Best Cognitive Science School for You
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for Cognitive Science students. You can choose a traditional brick-and-mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school halfway across the country without even leaving your house.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 77 schools in the United States offering Cognitive Science programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools.
Top 25 Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools
Our 2026 rankings named University of California-San Diego the most popular school in the U.S. for Cognitive Science majors. University of California-San Diego is a public school located in La Jolla, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 762 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,612. Read More…
University of California-Los Angeles comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. University of California-Los Angeles is a public school located in Los Angeles, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 283 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,763. Full Cognitive Science at University of California-Los Angeles Report
University of California-Berkeley comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. Located in Berkeley, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 245 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,445. Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Davis landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Located in Davis, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 188 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,123. Read More…
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school located in Ann Arbor, MI. This school awarded 159 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,597. Read More…
University of California-Santa Cruz comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. University of California-Santa Cruz is a public school located in Santa Cruz, CA. This school awarded 143 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $37,107. Read More…
Stanford University landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Stanford University is a private nonprofit school located in Stanford, CA. This school awarded 107 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $89,527. Read More…
Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit school located in Cambridge, MA. This school awarded 74 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $109,923. Read More…
Vanderbilt University comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. Located in Nashville, TN, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 72 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $68,884. Full Cognitive Science at Vanderbilt University Report
University of Southern California comes in at #10 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. Located in Los Angeles, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 70 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $63,275. Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Southern California
Washington University in St Louis landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Located in St. Louis, MO, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 63 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,622. Read More…
Johns Hopkins University comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. Located in Baltimore, MD, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 62 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $89,069. Read More…
University of Delaware comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. University of Delaware is a public school located in Newark, DE. During the most recent year for which we have data, 60 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,892. Read More…
University of California-Merced landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Located in Merced, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 50 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $39,692. Full Cognitive Science at University of California-Merced Report
University of Pennsylvania landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit school located in Philadelphia, PA. This school awarded 49 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $86,069. Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of Pennsylvania
Tufts University comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. Located in Medford, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 46 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,641. Read More…
University of Georgia comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. University of Georgia is a public school located in Athens, GA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 41 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,074. Read More…
Rutgers University-New Brunswick landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public school located in New Brunswick, NJ. During the most recent year for which we have data, 40 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $52,303. Read full report on Cognitive Science at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Yale University landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Yale University is a private nonprofit school located in New Haven, CT. During the most recent year for which we have data, 40 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,379. Full Cognitive Science at Yale University Report
Case Western Reserve University comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. Located in Cleveland, OH, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 39 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $67,614. Read full report on Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University
University of California-Irvine comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. University of California-Irvine is a public school located in Irvine, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 38 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,474. Read full report on Cognitive Science at University of California-Irvine
Rice University landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Rice University is a private nonprofit school located in Houston, TX. This school awarded 36 degrees in Cognitive Science in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $71,544. Read full report on Cognitive Science at Rice University
The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public school located in Richardson, TX. During the most recent year for which we have data, 35 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $52,687. Read full report on Cognitive Science at The University of Texas at Dallas
Brown University comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Cognitive Science majors. Located in Providence, RI, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 32 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,042. Full Cognitive Science at Brown University Report
New York University landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 29 people earned their degree in Cognitive Science from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,956. Read More…
Rest of the Top Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that also graduate students in this major every year.
Cognitive Science by Region
View the Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
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| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Cognitive Science Rankings
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the Most Popular Cognitive Science Schools ranking, along with other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Majors Related to Cognitive Science
Cognitive Science Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Cognitive Science | 3,111 |
| Contemplative Studies/Inquiry | 10 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Other Interdisciplinary Studies | 30,141 |
| Biological & Physical Science | 28,033 |
| Data Analytics | 12,891 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 10,355 |
| Data Science | 7,716 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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