Cognitive Science Degree in Madison, WI — Salary & ROI 2026
Cognitive Science degree analysis for Madison, WI. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$45K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$85K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.8 yrs
in Madison
Cost of Living
89
index (100 = avg)
Cognitive Science in Madison, WI Overview
Madison, Wisconsin (pop. 269,840) has 11 colleges offering Cognitive Science programs. The local cost of living index of 89 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $902/month. Cognitive Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for UX Research and Experimental Design skills. The adjusted starting salary in Madison is approximately $44,500, growing to $84,550 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
11
Public Tuition
$10,725/yr
Private Tuition
$33,350/yr
Room & Board
$11,942/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,815/yr
Unemployment
5.7%
Graduation Rate
73%
Cognitive Science Salary in Madison (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Madison's cost of living index of 89 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cognitive Science salary: $50,000 starting, $95,000 mid-career, $120,000 senior level.Madison adjustment factor: 0.89x based on the local cost of living index.
Cognitive Science ROI Calculator for Madison
Estimate your return on investment for a Cognitive Science degree using local Madison tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,725 | Private avg: $33,350
Madison avg aid: $15,815/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$90,668
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$13,350
vs HS diploma in Madison
ROI Payback Period
6.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Madison
$487,832
Lifetime earnings premium ($578,500) minus total education cost ($90,668)
Student Loan Payoff for Cognitive Science in Madison
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Madison for Cognitive Science
University of Wisconsin-Madison
public
$10,725/yr
$42,900 total
Edgewood College
private
$33,350/yr
$133,400 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Madison Area Technical College
$4,632/yr
Top Employers for Cognitive Science in Madison
Madison offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cognitive Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Madison Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cognitive Science Job Titles
Cognitive Science in Nearby Wisconsin Cities
Milwaukee, WI
$47K starting · COL 94
33 colleges
Green Bay, WI
$43K starting · COL 86
6 colleges
Kenosha, WI
$53K starting · COL 106
8 colleges
Racine, WI
$43K starting · COL 85.8
4 colleges
Appleton, WI
$40K starting · COL 79
6 colleges
Waukesha, WI
$45K starting · COL 90.5
3 colleges
Eau Claire, WI
$43K starting · COL 86
2 colleges
Oshkosh, WI
$54K starting · COL 107
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Madison
Prompt Engineering
$45K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$85K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$76K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$78K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$73K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$45K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$45K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cognitive Science Degree in Madison — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Cognitive Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Madison.