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Multi / Interdisciplinary · Cognitive Science Rank #8 of 19

Cognitive Scienceat Tufts University

Graduates earn $75,672/yr in their first year — about 58.0% above the national Cognitive Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $679K; scenarios range from $632K to $686K depending on AI disruption.

Medford, MA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
48 AVERAGE
48
Optimistic
48
Pessimistic
Earnings
$75,672
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$679K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
33% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Tufts University

Tufts' strong reputation, coupled with its prime location in Boston's vibrant tech, biotech, and academic ecosystem, profoundly shapes the career outcomes for Cognitive Science graduates. This interdisciplinary program provides a unique blend of psychological understanding, computational skills, and linguistic analysis, making you exceptionally versatile. Employers in the region, from innovative AI startups to established healthcare tech firms and university research labs, highly value this synthesis for roles in UX research, product development, data analytics, and AI ethics. The curriculum is designed to equip you for critical thinking in human-computer interaction and complex data interpretation. To truly leverage this advantage, immerse yourself in the local professional community through internships and networking events, focusing on specific applications like human-centered AI or user experience design.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$632K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple2.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$679K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple2.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$686K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple2.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Tufts University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Cognitive Science graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
2
Postsecondary teachers, all other
+1.8% 10-yr growth · 13,500 openings/yr
$78,490/yr
Low
3
Community and social service specialists, all other
+4.6% 10-yr growth · 13,100 openings/yr
$54,940/yr
Low
4
Directors, religious activities and education
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 13,800 openings/yr
$54,840/yr
Moderate
5
Self-enrichment teachers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 51,400 openings/yr
$45,590/yr
Moderate
6
Religious workers, all other
+0.6% 10-yr growth · 11,100 openings/yr
$45,120/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Cognitive Science

How Tufts University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Stanford University
CA · Private nonprofit
54
DW Score
$106K
1-yr earn
3.2x
ROI
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
62
DW Score
$84K
1-yr earn
3.1x
ROI
Top score
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
70
DW Score
$65K
1-yr earn
15.9x
ROI
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public
64
DW Score
$54K
1-yr earn
13.2x
ROI
Rice University
TX · Private nonprofit
45
DW Score
$47K
1-yr earn
2.1x
ROI
Also at Tufts University

Other top programs at Tufts University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Tufts University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Cognitive Science at Tufts University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Cognitive Science at Tufts University?

A score of 48/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Cognitive Science. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.