Acceptance Rate and Application Statistics
The following table compares the admission related statistics including number of applicants, admitted, and enrolled between best Cognitive Psychology schools. The average acceptance rate of best Cognitive Psychology schools is 15.51% and the average admission yield (enrollment rate) is 35.89%.
Stanford University has the tighest (lowest) acceptance rate of 3.61% and Massachusetts Institute of Technology has the highest yield (enrollment rate) of 85.83% among best Cognitive Psychology schools. The numbers in parenthesis() in below table represent the number and rate by gender (men/women). The statistics is based on the latest data from IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education for academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Acceptance Rate | Enrollment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | 57,326 (29,602/27,724) | 2,067 (1,015/1,052) | 1,693 (835/858) | 4% (3%/4%) | 82% (82%/3%) |
| 2 | Harvard University | 54,008 (25,613/28,372) | 1,970 (920/1,050) | 1,647 (767/880) | 4% (4%/4%) | 84% (83%/3%) |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego | 134,450 (63,349/71,101) | 35,917 (14,810/21,107) | 7,330 (3,155/4,175) | 27% (23%/30%) | 20% (21%/6%) |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 73,742 (41,597/32,124) | 31,247 (15,134/16,102) | 9,008 (4,538/4,469) | 42% (36%/50%) | 29% (30%/14%) |
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon University | 33,941 (20,143/12,734) | 3,959 (1,973/1,870) | 1,808 (974/780) | 12% (10%/15%) | 46% (49%/6%) |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 98,310 (48,101/50,209) | 15,373 (6,684/8,689) | 7,278 (3,199/4,079) | 16% (14%/17%) | 47% (48%/8%) |
| 5 | Yale University | 57,517 (24,951/32,540) | 2,227 (1,136/1,091) | 1,554 (782/772) | 4% (5%/3%) | 70% (69%/2%) |
| 8 | Washington University in St Louis | 32,754 (15,330/17,411) | 3,951 (1,920/2,030) | 1,847 (862/985) | 12% (13%/12%) | 47% (45%/6%) |
| 9 | University of California-Los Angeles | 146,272 (67,788/78,484) | 13,114 (5,468/7,646) | 6,610 (2,629/3,981) | 9% (8%/10%) | 50% (48%/5%) |
| 10 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 28,232 (17,210/8,975) | 1,284 (606/612) | 1,102 (542/497) | 5% (4%/7%) | 86% (89%/6%) |
| Average | 71,655 (35,368/35,368) | 11,111 (4,967/6,125) | 3,988 (1,828/2,148) | 15.51% (14.0%/17.3%) | 35.89% (36.8%/35.1%) | |
SAT Scores Comparison
The average SAT score of best Cognitive Psychology schools is 1523. By subject, the average score of the SAT EBRW(Evidence-based Reading and Writing) is 745 and the average SAT Math score is 778.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology has the highest SAT scores of 1,560 and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has the lowest SAT scores of 1,440 among best Cognitive Psychology schools. The following table compares SAT Scores between best Cognitive Psychology schools for the academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | SAT Total | Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | 51% (857) | 1550 | 760 | 790 |
| 2 | Harvard University | 54% (892) | 1550 | 760 | 790 |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego | Test Score is NOT considered for University of California-San Diego admission. | |||
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 48% (4,310) | 1440 | 700 | 740 |
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon University | 53% (951) | 1540 | 750 | 790 |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51% (3,697) | 1460 | 720 | 740 |
| 5 | Yale University | 61% (950) | 1540 | 760 | 780 |
| 8 | Washington University in St Louis | 29% (538) | 1540 | 750 | 790 |
| 9 | University of California-Los Angeles | Test Score is NOT considered for University of California-Los Angeles admission. | |||
| 10 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 83% (911) | 1560 | 760 | 800 |
| Average | 53.75% | 1523 | 745 | 778 | |
ACT Scores Comparison
The average ACT score of best Cognitive Psychology schools is 34. By subject, the average ACT English score is 35 and the ACT math score is 34.
The following table compares ACT Scores between best Cognitive Psychology schools for academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | Composite | English | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | 19% (324) | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| 2 | Harvard University | 19% (321) | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego | Test Score is NOT considered for University of California-San Diego admission. | |||
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 16% (1,408) | 32 | 34 | 32 |
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon University | 22% (405) | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 18% (1,274) | 33 | 35 | 33 |
| 5 | Yale University | 25% (384) | 34 | 35 | 34 |
| 8 | Washington University in St Louis | 28% (517) | 34 | 35 | 34 |
| 9 | University of California-Los Angeles | Test Score is NOT considered for University of California-Los Angeles admission. | |||
| 10 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 29% (322) | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Average | 22.00% | 34 | 35 | 34 | |
*Number of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
**Percent of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
Application Requirements
The following table list and compare the requirements when applying best Cognitive Psychology schools based on academic year 2024-2025 data.
| Rank | Name | HS GPA | HS Rank | HS Record | Prep. Program | Rec. | Compe. | SAT/ACT | TOEFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2 | Harvard University | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon University | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 5 | Yale University | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 8 | Washington University in St Louis | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 9 | University of California-Los Angeles | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ |
| 10 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✓ |
✔: Required △: Considered but not Required ✔: Recommended ✗: Neither Required nor Recommended
- HS GPA: High School or Secondary School GPA
- HS Rank: High School or Secondary School Rank
- HS Record: High School or Secondary School Record
- Prep. Program: Completion of College Preparatory Program
- Rec.: Recommendations
- Comp.: Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g., portfolios, certificates of mastery, assessment instruments)
The ranking data is provided by CollegeEvaluator.
Top Colleges By Subject
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*Number of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
**Percent of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.