Cognitive Scienceat University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Graduates earn $44,698/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Cognitive Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $503K; scenarios range from $476K to $503K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Michigan
The University of Michigan's Cognitive Science program offers a deeply interdisciplinary foundation, blending psychology, computer science, philosophy, and linguistics. While the institution's overall prestige is high, the initial earnings data often reflects the diverse and sometimes non-linear career paths common for this field. Many graduates leverage U-M's strong research focus to pursue advanced degrees in areas like Human-Computer Interaction, AI/ML, or Neuroscience, delaying immediate entry into high-paying roles.
You'll find alumni thriving in tech companies in UX/UI design, data analytics, and AI ethics, as well as in research, academia, and healthcare. The Ann Arbor ecosystem, while not a tech giant, fosters innovation, with local opportunities in automotive tech, healthcare, and university spin-offs. Your experience here will be rigorous, providing a robust analytical toolkit. To maximize your post-graduation earnings, actively seek out internships in tech or data science roles while you're still a student.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Michigan's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Cognitive Science
How University of Michigan stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Michigan
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Michigan, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Cognitive Science at University of Michigan
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Cognitive Science at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor?
A score of 44/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Cognitive Science. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.