Cognitive Science at Brown University

Brown's Cognitive Science bachelor's degree carries an estimated $18,000 in debt against first-year earnings around $41,000—based on national medians for this field. That 0.44 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates could theoretically clear their loans within a year if they focused exclusively on repayment, though few do. The real question is whether those first-year earnings reflect the trajectory you'd expect from a school with Brown's selectivity (5% admission rate, 1546 average SAT). Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field that can lead to tech, research, or graduate school, and outcomes likely vary dramatically based on which path students pursue.

The challenge here is that these estimated figures don't capture what distinguishes Brown specifically—the Ivy League network, research opportunities, and graduate school placement that typically justify premium tuition. Comparable programs nationally show earnings ranging up to $50,700 at the 75th percentile, suggesting ceiling matters more than floor in this field. If your student plans to leverage Brown's connections into competitive tech roles or funded PhD programs, the modest estimated debt becomes less concerning. If they're uncertain about direction or gravitating toward lower-paying social science applications, you're betting on Brown's brand to open doors that the field itself might not.