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Cognitive Science

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 30.2501 - 30.2599.

Types of Degrees Cognitive Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Cognitive Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	2,955
Master’s Degree	96
Doctor’s Degree	70

What Cognitive Science Majors Need to Know

Studies in Cognitive Science develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Cognitive Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Cognitive Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Cognitive Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Cognitive Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cognitive Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cognitive Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	—
Clinical trial management software	Data base user interface and query software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cognitive Science graduates include:

• Computer Technology Instructor
• Instructor
• Teacher
• City Planning Teacher
• University Professor
• Flight Teacher
• Interdisciplinary Professor
• Military Science Instructor
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Metal Crafts Teacher
• Military Science Teacher
• Faculty Member
• Flight Simulation Instructor
• Humanities Teacher

What Can You Do With a Cognitive Science Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Cognitive Science commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Self-Enrichment Teachers	8.8%	$77,096	$60,385–$93,807
Religious Workers, All Other	-1.4%	$58,956	$47,118–$70,794
Directors, Religious Activities and Education	-2.3%	$64,599	$53,067–$76,131
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	13.1%	$75,358	$58,637–$92,080

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Cognitive Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	41.6%
Master’s degree	19.3%
Postsecondary certificate	12.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.3%
Post-doctoral training	3.7%
Some college courses	3.6%
Doctoral degree	2.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cognitive Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.6% of Cognitive Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,046	65.6%
Men	1,075	34.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Cognitive Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	841	26.9%
Asian	1,089	34.9%
Hispanic or Latino	426	13.6%
Black or African American	108	3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Two or More Races	201	6.4%
Race Unknown	78	2.5%
International Students	370	11.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cognitive Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Cognitive Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,058
4 years	$67,809
5 years	$79,238

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,238 — roughly 72% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Cognitive Science Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Cognitive Science graduates earn a median of $67,809 four years after completion — roughly 78% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	134,694
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	30,141
Biological and Physical Sciences	28,033
Data Analytics	12,891
Data Science	7,716
International/Globalization Studies	5,740
Nutrition Sciences	5,456
Behavioral Sciences	5,391
Sustainability Studies	4,374
Natural Sciences	2,648
Computational Science	2,395
Human Computer Interaction	2,298

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.