Program Analysis
Starting salaries of $38,132/yr fall 20% below the $47,910 national median for Cognitive Science. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 6.7x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Cognitive Science's typical career paths, with 22% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 5% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $24,250 represents roughly 8 months of the $38,132 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #13 of 19 Cognitive Science programs, Rutgers University-New Brunswick falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.