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Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for cognitive science Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for cognitive science Majors in US for 2021:
  1. Stanford University
  2. Rice University
  3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  4. Yale University
  5. Johns Hopkins University
  6. Vanderbilt University
  7. Dartmouth College
  8. Brown University
  9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  10. University of Pennsylvania
If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

25 best colleges for cognitive science majors in the US

1. Stanford University

Location
Stanford, CA
Admission rate: 4%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $92,800

2. Rice University

Location
Houston, TX
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $68,300

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Location
Cambridge, MA
Admission rate: 7%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $99,600

4. Yale University

Location
New Haven, CT
Admission rate: 6%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $67,800

5. Johns Hopkins University

Location
Baltimore, MD
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $68,000

6. Vanderbilt University

Location
Nashville, TN
Admission rate: 10%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $61,900

7. Dartmouth College

Location
Hanover, NH
Admission rate: 9%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $74,600

8. Brown University

Location
Providence, RI
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $64,800

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $55,900

10. University of Pennsylvania

Location
Philadelphia, PA
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $91,200

11. Tufts University

Location
Medford, MA
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $56,600

12. Washington University in St Louis

Location
Saint Louis, MO
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $63,400

13. University of California, Berkeley

Location
Berkeley, CA
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $57,600

14. University of California - Los Angeles

Location
Los Angeles, CA
Admission rate: 14%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,000

15. University of Virginia

Location
Charlottesville, VA
Admission rate: 26%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $56,800

16. Case Western Reserve University

Location
Cleveland, OH
Admission rate: 29%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $69,900

17. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,900

18. Lehigh University

Location
Bethlehem, PA
Admission rate: 22%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $67,300

19. University of Southern California

Location
Los Angeles, CA
Admission rate: 13%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $61,400

20. University of California - San Diego

Location
La Jolla, CA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $48,200

21. Carnegie Mellon University

Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Admission rate: 17%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $84,000

22. Carleton College

Location
Northfield, MN
Admission rate: 20%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $43,400

23. University of Richmond

Location
University of Richmond, VA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $51,900

24. University of California - Davis

Location
Davis, CA
Admission rate: 41%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $45,300

25. University of Delaware

Location
Newark, DE
Admission rate: 66%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $48,100

How we determined the best cognitive science colleges

We looked at the following data from the NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) and College Scorecard data from ED.gov to understand what cognitive science departments offer the best career opportunities:
  • Percentage of Graduating Class That Are Business Majors
  • Mean Earnings After 10 Years
  • Mean Earnings After 6 Years
  • Admission Rate (More selective the better)
  • Average cost of attendance (Lower is better)
  • Median amount of debt
  • Ratio of people working to not working after 10 years