Cognitive Science Degree in San Francisco, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Cognitive Science degree analysis for San Francisco, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$57K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$108K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.2 yrs
in San Francisco
Cost of Living
114
index (100 = avg)
Cognitive Science in San Francisco, CA Overview
San Francisco is one of California's top college towns, with 22 institutions and a student population of 65,778. Public tuition averages $7,266/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Cognitive Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for UX Research and Experimental Design skills. The adjusted starting salary in San Francisco is approximately $57,000, growing to $108,300 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
22
Public Tuition
$7,266/yr
Private Tuition
$36,185/yr
Room & Board
$15,030/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,071/yr
Unemployment
3.4%
Graduation Rate
58%
Cognitive Science Salary in San Francisco (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for San Francisco's cost of living index of 114 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cognitive Science salary: $50,000 starting, $95,000 mid-career, $120,000 senior level.San Francisco adjustment factor: 1.14x based on the local cost of living index.
Cognitive Science ROI Calculator for San Francisco
Estimate your return on investment for a Cognitive Science degree using local San Francisco tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $7,266 | Private avg: $36,185
San Francisco avg aid: $11,071/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$89,184
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$17,100
vs HS diploma in San Francisco
ROI Payback Period
5.2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in San Francisco
$651,816
Lifetime earnings premium ($741,000) minus total education cost ($89,184)
Student Loan Payoff for Cognitive Science in San Francisco
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in San Francisco for Cognitive Science
University of San Francisco
private
$54,514/yr
$218,056 total
San Francisco State University
public
$7,266/yr
$29,064 total
Golden Gate University
private
$17,856/yr
$71,424 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
City College of San Francisco
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Cognitive Science in San Francisco
San Francisco offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cognitive Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key San Francisco Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cognitive Science Job Titles
Cognitive Science in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$71K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$70K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$65K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
Fresno, CA
$59K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$56K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$58K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$66K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Bakersfield, CA
$67K starting · COL 134
18 colleges
Other STEM Majors in San Francisco
Prompt Engineering
$57K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$108K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$97K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$100K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$93K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$57K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$91K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$57K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cognitive Science Degree in San Francisco — 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 San Francisco.