Stanford University Cognitive Science: earnings, debt & careers

Cognitive Science graduates of Stanford University earn a median $131,650 four years after graduating ($105,695 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $8,055. That is $52,634 above the U.S. median for Cognitive Science graduates ($79,016 across 19 colleges), and ranks 1st of 9 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$131,650

U.S. median for this major: $79,016.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$105,695

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$8,055

About 6% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $17,490.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$13,807 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $87,833. College Scorecard.

Cognitive Science at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Cognitive Science graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Stanford University$131,650$8,055$13,80792%
2University of California-Berkeley$120,193$13,950$13,48193%
3University of California-Los Angeles$102,066$13,000$12,54893%
4University of Southern California$93,440$19,669$32,74092%
5University of California-San Diego$81,160$17,481$12,47086%
6Occidental College$78,782—$38,26381%
7University of California-Santa Cruz$72,125$19,500$17,89075%
8University of California-Davis$68,463$15,000$14,74186%
9University of California-Merced$51,147$21,000$11,98369%

8 more California colleges offer Cognitive Science but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Cognitive Science graduates

Natural Sciences Managers

San Jose area$263,810
California$210,230
U.S.$167,220

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +8.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Directors, Religious Activities and Education

San Jose area$59,010
California$61,570
U.S.$52,100

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.3% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Stanford University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Stanford University

Related majors at Stanford University

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Stanford University Cognitive Science questions

How much do Stanford University Cognitive Science graduates earn?

Cognitive Science graduates of Stanford University earn a median $131,650 four years after graduating and $105,695 one year after. The U.S. median for Cognitive Science graduates across 19 colleges is $79,016.

How much debt do Stanford University Cognitive Science graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Cognitive Science graduates of Stanford University is $8,055, about 6% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $17,490.

Where does Stanford University rank for Cognitive Science in California?

Of 9 California colleges reporting Cognitive Science graduate earnings, Stanford University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Cognitive Science graduates get?

A common career is natural sciences managers, with a median wage of $263,810 in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area and $167,220 nationally. Others include directors, religious activities and education.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Stanford University Cognitive Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/stanford-university/majors/cognitive-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).