BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 21 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$74,067 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
7.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+28%Estimated return after 10 years
$79,016Observed earnings · year 4
$40,040Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $18,517 per year below this threshold.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$160,160
$12,000Annual price+$112,160
$22,000Current college-wide context+$72,160
$24,000Annual price+$64,160
$36,000Annual price+$16,160
$48,000Annual price−$31,840
$60,000Annual price−$79,840
Outcomes at a glance
$79,016Typical earnings four years after completion
$77,881Average earnings five years after completion
$17,750Typical federal student debt
73thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
19College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Cognitive Science
How much do Cognitive Science bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $79,016 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $17,750. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Cognitive Science?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $68,463 to $102,066 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Cognitive Science?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$68,463National median$79,01675th percentile$102,066
19 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Carnegie Mellon University
$162,106 four years after completionPittsburgh, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtStanford University
$8,055 among completer borrowersStanford, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of California, San Diego
722 reported awards in 2024–25La Jolla, CA · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$131,650Observed year-4 earnings$51,147
Carnegie Mellon University$31,944 price · $162,106 earningsStanford University$13,807 price · $131,650 earningsTufts University$39,998 price · $130,801 earningsUniversity of California, Berkeley$13,481 price · $120,193 earningsUniversity of Pennsylvania$28,699 price · $109,784 earningsUniversity of California, Los Angeles$12,548 price · $102,066 earningsUniversity of Southern California$32,740 price · $93,440 earningsUniversity of Virginia-Main Campus$21,565 price · $83,554 earningsUniversity of California, San Diego$12,470 price · $81,160 earningsUniversity of Michigan-Ann Arbor$13,138 price · $79,016 earningsOccidental College$38,263 price · $78,782 earningsState University of New York at Oswego$16,236 price · $76,118 earningsUniversity of California, Santa Cruz$17,890 price · $72,125 earningsUniversity of Georgia$13,936 price · $69,169 earningsUniversity of California, Davis$14,741 price · $68,463 earningsWashington University in St Louis$21,786 price · $67,212 earningsRice University$13,370 price · $66,913 earningsUniversity of Delaware$17,799 price · $66,716 earningsUniversity of California, Merced$11,983 price · $51,147 earnings
$11,983Annual college-wide average net price$38,263
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
21 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 21 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Carnegie Mellon University$162,1062Stanford University$131,6503Tufts University$130,8014University of California, Berkeley$120,1935University of Pennsylvania$109,7846University of California, Los Angeles$102,0667University of Southern California$93,4408University of Virginia-Main Campus$83,5549University of California, San Diego$81,16010University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$79,016Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 typical wage rangeNatural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangeCommunity and Social Service Specialists, All Other$56,730 median wage107,730 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 11,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,310–$84,210 typical wage rangeDirectors, Religious Activities and Education$52,100 median wage22,160 jobs nationwide+3.3% projected growth through 2035 · 13,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$34,670–$98,310 typical wage rangeSelf-Enrichment Teachers$46,800 median wage332,110 jobs nationwide+3.5% projected growth through 2035 · 50,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$30,050–$92,840 typical wage rangeReligious Workers, All Other$45,280 median wage15,760 jobs nationwide+1.5% projected growth through 2035 · 12,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$31,200–$93,900 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.