{
  "major": "Cognitive Science",
  "slug": "cognitive-science",
  "field": "Computing & Data",
  "as_of": "2026",
  "url": "https://collegeranked.com/best-cognitive-science-schools/",
  "source": "U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2026 release); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
  "metric_definitions": {
    "median_earnings": "Median earnings one year after graduation (Scorecard)",
    "net_price": "Average annual cost of attendance after grant aid. For PUBLIC schools this reflects IN-STATE cost; out-of-state students pay more.",
    "roi_10yr_usd": "Ten years of earnings minus four years of net price",
    "public": "true = public university (net_price is in-state basis); false = private (residency-neutral)"
  },
  "total_colleges_with_reported_data": 19,
  "shown": 19,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "University of California-Berkeley",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 64559,
      "net_price": 13481,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 591666,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "University of Pennsylvania",
      "state": "PA",
      "median_earnings": 84314,
      "net_price": 28699,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 728344,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "University of California-Los Angeles",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 53962,
      "net_price": 12548,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 489428,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "Stanford University",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 105695,
      "net_price": 13807,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 1001722,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "Rice University",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 47459,
      "net_price": 13370,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 421110,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "University of California-San Diego",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 39839,
      "net_price": 12470,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 348510,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "University of Georgia",
      "state": "GA",
      "median_earnings": 41362,
      "net_price": 13936,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 357876,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "University of California-Santa Cruz",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 35384,
      "net_price": 17890,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 282280,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "Tufts University",
      "state": "MA",
      "median_earnings": 75672,
      "net_price": 39998,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 596728,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "University of Michigan-Ann Arbor",
      "state": "MI",
      "median_earnings": 44698,
      "net_price": 13138,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 394428,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "school": "University of California-Davis",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 42342,
      "net_price": 14741,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 364456,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "school": "University of California-Merced",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 32419,
      "net_price": 11983,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 276258,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "Johns Hopkins University",
      "state": "MD",
      "median_earnings": 42602,
      "net_price": 18809,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 350784,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "Vanderbilt University",
      "state": "TN",
      "median_earnings": 38752,
      "net_price": 15846,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 324136,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "University of Virginia-Main Campus",
      "state": "VA",
      "median_earnings": 27628,
      "net_price": 21565,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 190020,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "school": "Rutgers University-New Brunswick",
      "state": "NJ",
      "median_earnings": 38132,
      "net_price": 24406,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 283696,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "University of Southern California",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 34295,
      "net_price": 32740,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 211990,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "school": "Washington University in St Louis",
      "state": "MO",
      "median_earnings": 30996,
      "net_price": 21786,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 222816,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "Case Western Reserve University",
      "state": "OH",
      "median_earnings": 30198,
      "net_price": 41190,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 137220,
      "public": false
    }
  ]
}