by our College Data Analytics Team
[Cognitive Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/cognitive-science/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a cognitive science degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find where cognitive science graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The right cognitive science school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. To help, we created our Highest Paid Cognitive Science Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose cognitive science degrees pay off the most.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Cognitive Science Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
If you want to know which schools send cognitive science graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Stanford University, our #1 for cognitive science graduate salaries in the United States. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from Stanford University typically earn about $105,695 annually.
University Of Pennsylvania came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying cognitive science schools. University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania typically earn about $109,527 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in cognitive science will find them at University Of California Berkeley, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a public institution. Students who complete the cognitive science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $100,651.
Strong graduate earnings at Tufts University earned it the #4 place for cognitive science. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the cognitive science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $75,672.
Students chasing top earnings in cognitive science will find them at University Of Delaware, which ranked #5. University Of Delaware is a public school located in the suburb of Newark. Students who complete the cognitive science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,292.
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University Of California Los Angeles landed the #6 spot for cognitive science salaries this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. Cognitive Science graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of about $78,267 a year early in their careers.
University Of California San Diego landed the #7 spot for cognitive science salaries this year. Located in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a public institution. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of California San Diego typically earn about $85,159 annually.
Rice University earned the #8 position for cognitive science graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Houston, Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution. Cognitive Science graduates of Rice University earn a median of about $71,816 a year early in their careers.
University Of California Santa Cruz came in at #9 for cognitive science graduate earnings this year. University Of California Santa Cruz is a public school located in the city of Santa Cruz. Early-career cognitive science graduates from University Of California Santa Cruz make a median of around $76,561 per year.
University Of Georgia placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for cognitive science. Set in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a public institution. Cognitive Science graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of about $61,591 a year early in their careers.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #11 position for cognitive science graduate earnings this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor typically earn about $44,698 annually.
Johns Hopkins University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying cognitive science schools. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. Cognitive Science graduates of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of about $42,602 a year early in their careers.
University Of California Merced placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for cognitive science. Located in the suburb of Merced, University Of California Merced is a public institution. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of California Merced typically earn about $57,358 annually.
University Of California Davis placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for cognitive science. University Of California Davis is a public school located in the suburb of Davis. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of California Davis typically earn about $42,342 annually.
Vanderbilt University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying cognitive science schools. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Cognitive Science graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of about $38,752 a year early in their careers.
Rutgers University New Brunswick landed the #16 spot for cognitive science salaries this year. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a public institution. Early-career cognitive science graduates from Rutgers University New Brunswick make a median of around $38,132 per year.
University Of Southern California ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying cognitive science schools. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from University Of Southern California typically earn about $34,295 annually.
Washington University In St Louis placed #18 among the highest-paying schools for cognitive science. Washington University In St Louis is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis typically earn about $30,996 annually.
Case Western Reserve University placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for cognitive science. Set in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, cognitive science degree recipients from Case Western Reserve University typically earn about $30,198 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their cognitive science graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 19 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.