Cognitive Science at Haverford College

Haverford's cognitive science graduates face an earnings picture that's surprisingly modest for such a selective institution. While peer programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $41,000, Pennsylvania's cognitive science graduates typically earn $84,000—double that figure. This gap is stark enough to warrant serious scrutiny, even accounting for the fact that Haverford's numbers are estimates based on national comparables rather than actual graduate outcomes.

The estimated $18,000 in debt translates to a manageable 0.44 debt-to-earnings ratio if earnings land near the national benchmark. But if Haverford's outcomes actually mirror the state's median—a reasonable expectation given the school's 1498 average SAT and 13% admission rate—then debt becomes even less of a concern. The real question is whether cognitive science at this particular school builds the kind of technical skills that translate to higher earnings, or whether graduates are entering less lucrative career paths despite the institution's academic prestige.

Without actual outcome data for Haverford's program, you're essentially betting that a highly selective liberal arts college will deliver results closer to Penn's reported $84,000 than to the cautious national estimate. That's a bet some families might reasonably make, but only after confirming with the college exactly where recent graduates are working and what they're earning in their first roles.