Best Cognitive Science Universities in Europe [2026 Rankings]

1

United Kingdom | England

University College London

For Cognitive Science

#1 in United Kingdom #1 in the World

36% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1826 Founded

2

United Kingdom | England

University of Oxford

For Cognitive Science

#2 in United Kingdom #4 in the World

22% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1096 Founded

3

United Kingdom | England

University of Cambridge

For Cognitive Science

#3 in United Kingdom #14 in the World

21% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1209 Founded

4

Netherlands | Amsterdam

University of Amsterdam

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Netherlands #24 in the World

51% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1632 Founded

5

Belgium | Leuven

Catholic University of Leuven

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Belgium #29 in the World

33% Acceptance

62,693 Enrollment

1425 Founded

6

Netherlands | Nijmegen

Radboud University

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Netherlands #35 in the World

43% Acceptance

34,000 Enrollment

1923 Founded

7

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Edinburgh

For Cognitive Science

#4 in United Kingdom #43 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1583 Founded

8

United Kingdom | England

University of Manchester

For Cognitive Science

#5 in United Kingdom #59 in the World

40% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1824 Founded

9

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Freiburg

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Germany #68 in the World

33% Acceptance

23,938 Enrollment

1457 Founded

10

United Kingdom | England

University of Bristol

For Cognitive Science

#6 in United Kingdom #70 in the World

63% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1909 Founded

11

United Kingdom | England

Imperial College London

For Cognitive Science

#8 in United Kingdom #75 in the World

41% Acceptance

17,565 Enrollment

1907 Founded

12

Switzerland | Lausanne

Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Switzerland #76 in the World

23% Acceptance

12,576 Enrollment

13

Netherlands | Utrecht

Utrecht University

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Netherlands #87 in the World

22% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1636 Founded

14

Switzerland | Zurich

University of Zurich

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Switzerland #89 in the World

19% Acceptance

25,732 Enrollment

15

Switzerland | Zurich

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Switzerland #92 in the World

8% Acceptance

23,420 Enrollment

16

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Tubingen

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Germany #93 in the World

33% Acceptance

28,238 Enrollment

1477 Founded

17

United Kingdom | England

University of York

For Cognitive Science

#9 in United Kingdom #100 in the World

20% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1963 Founded

18

United Kingdom | England

University of Sussex

For Cognitive Science

#10 in United Kingdom #101 in the World

35% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1961 Founded

19

Netherlands | Groningen

University of Groningen

For Cognitive Science

#4 in Netherlands #102 in the World

50% Acceptance

34,000 Enrollment

1614 Founded

20

Sweden | Stockholm

Karolinska Institute

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Sweden #103 in the World

57% Acceptance

8,070 Enrollment

1861 Founded

21

Germany | Bavaria

University of Munich

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Germany #105 in the World

55% Acceptance

52,418 Enrollment

1472 Founded

22

Finland | Helsinki

University of Helsinki

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Finland #106 in the World

12% Acceptance

31,312 Enrollment

1640 Founded

23

United Kingdom | England

University of Nottingham

For Cognitive Science

#11 in United Kingdom #107 in the World

32% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1948 Founded

24

Switzerland | Geneva

University of Geneva

For Cognitive Science

#4 in Switzerland #108 in the World

25% Acceptance

17,744 Enrollment

25

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

Heidelberg University – Germany

For Cognitive Science

#4 in Germany #110 in the World

45% Acceptance

28,413 Enrollment

1386 Founded

26

United Kingdom | England

University of Birmingham

For Cognitive Science

#12 in United Kingdom #116 in the World

38% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1900 Founded

27

Italy | Veneto

University of Padua

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Italy #120 in the World

40% Acceptance

70,000 Enrollment

1222 Founded

28

France | Ile-de-France

Pierre and Marie Curie University

For Cognitive Science

#1 in France #121 in the World

20% Acceptance

35,114 Enrollment

1150 Founded

29

Germany | Bavaria

Technical University of Munich

For Cognitive Science

#5 in Germany #122 in the World

46% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1868 Founded

30

Belgium | Ghent

Ghent University

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Belgium #124 in the World

34% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1817 Founded

31

Netherlands | Amsterdam

Free University Amsterdam

For Cognitive Science

#5 in Netherlands #125 in the World

45% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1880 Founded

32

Netherlands | Maastricht

Maastricht University

For Cognitive Science

#6 in Netherlands #127 in the World

53% Acceptance

18,000 Enrollment

1976 Founded

33

Netherlands | Leiden

Leiden University

For Cognitive Science

#7 in Netherlands #128 in the World

30% Acceptance

33,474 Enrollment

1575 Founded

34

United Kingdom | England

University of Sheffield

For Cognitive Science

#13 in United Kingdom #133 in the World

28% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1905 Founded

35

United Kingdom | Wales

Cardiff University

For Cognitive Science

#14 in United Kingdom #135 in the World

39% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1997 Founded

36

Italy | Lazio

Sapienza University of Rome

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Italy #137 in the World

39% Acceptance

100,155 Enrollment

1303 Founded

37

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Glasgow

For Cognitive Science

#15 in United Kingdom #138 in the World

48% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1451 Founded

38

Denmark | Aarhus

Aarhus University

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Denmark #139 in the World

42% Acceptance

33,020 Enrollment

1928 Founded

39

Denmark | Copenhagen

University of Copenhagen

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Denmark #140 in the World

37% Acceptance

33,020 Enrollment

1479 Founded

40

Germany | Hamburg State

University of Hamburg

For Cognitive Science

#6 in Germany #142 in the World

39% Acceptance

43,957 Enrollment

1919 Founded

41

Italy | Trentino-South Tyrol

University of Trento

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Italy #143 in the World

73% Acceptance

16,239 Enrollment

1962 Founded

42

Belgium | Liege

University of Liege

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Belgium #146 in the World

34% Acceptance

27,678 Enrollment

1817 Founded

43

United Kingdom | England

University of Warwick

For Cognitive Science

#16 in United Kingdom #148 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1965 Founded

44

Switzerland | Bern

University of Bern

For Cognitive Science

#5 in Switzerland #153 in the World

26% Acceptance

19,608 Enrollment

45

United Kingdom | England

University of Southampton

For Cognitive Science

#17 in United Kingdom #155 in the World

32% Acceptance

21,335 Enrollment

1952 Founded

46

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

Ruhr University Bochum

For Cognitive Science

#7 in Germany #159 in the World

28% Acceptance

42,954 Enrollment

1962 Founded

47

United Kingdom | England

University of Surrey

For Cognitive Science

#18 in United Kingdom #162 in the World

32% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

1966 Founded

48

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

University of Bologna

For Cognitive Science

#4 in Italy #165 in the World

73% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1088 Founded

49

Netherlands | Delft

Delft University of Technology

For Cognitive Science

#8 in Netherlands #166 in the World

50% Acceptance

24,703 Enrollment

1842 Founded

50

United Kingdom | England

Birkbeck, University of London

For Cognitive Science

#19 in United Kingdom #172 in the World

50% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1823 Founded

51

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

RWTH Aachen University

For Cognitive Science

#8 in Germany #178 in the World

35% Acceptance

47,521 Enrollment

1870 Founded

52

Germany | Brandenburg

Free University of Berlin

For Cognitive Science

#9 in Germany #179 in the World

15% Acceptance

37,908 Enrollment

1948 Founded

53

United Kingdom | England

University of Liverpool

For Cognitive Science

#20 in United Kingdom #180 in the World

24% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1881 Founded

54

Finland | Oulu

University of Oulu

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Finland #182 in the World

31% Acceptance

2,900 Enrollment

1958 Founded

55

Germany | Hesse

Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

For Cognitive Science

#10 in Germany #185 in the World

50% Acceptance

43,461 Enrollment

1914 Founded

56

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

For Cognitive Science

#2 in France #187 in the World

15% Acceptance

38,007 Enrollment

1809 Founded

57

Germany | Brandenburg

Humboldt University of Berlin

For Cognitive Science

#11 in Germany #188 in the World

34% Acceptance

36,232 Enrollment

1809 Founded

58

Sweden | Lund

Lund University

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Sweden #194 in the World

58% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1666 Founded

59

United Kingdom | England

University of London

For Cognitive Science

#21 in United Kingdom #207 in the World

36% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1836 Founded

60

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

University of Bonn

For Cognitive Science

#13 in Germany #208 in the World

36% Acceptance

38,043 Enrollment

1818 Founded

61

Norway | Oslo

University of Oslo

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Norway #209 in the World

27% Acceptance

26,650 Enrollment

1811 Founded

62

Germany | Bavaria

University of Wurzburg

For Cognitive Science

#14 in Germany #211 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,149 Enrollment

1402 Founded

63

Sweden | Uppsala

Uppsala University

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Sweden #212 in the World

69% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1477 Founded

64

United Kingdom | England

Durham University

For Cognitive Science

#22 in United Kingdom #213 in the World

46% Acceptance

19,520 Enrollment

1832 Founded

65

United Kingdom | England

University of Leeds

For Cognitive Science

#23 in United Kingdom #219 in the World

48% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1904 Founded

66

Spain | Granada

University of Granada

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Spain #227 in the World

53% Acceptance

56,842 Enrollment

1531 Founded

67

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

University of Parma

For Cognitive Science

#5 in Italy #228 in the World

39% Acceptance

22,800 Enrollment

1117 Founded

68

Germany | Brandenburg

Charite – Medical University of Berlin

For Cognitive Science

#16 in Germany #230 in the World

38% Acceptance

9,340 Enrollment

1710 Founded

69

Spain | Barcelona

University of Barcelona

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Spain #231 in the World

69% Acceptance

64,236 Enrollment

70

United Kingdom | England

Queen Mary University of London

For Cognitive Science

#24 in United Kingdom #233 in the World

18% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1989 Founded

71

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of St Andrews

For Cognitive Science

#25 in United Kingdom #234 in the World

33% Acceptance

10,425 Enrollment

1413 Founded

72

United Kingdom | England

Lancaster University

For Cognitive Science

#27 in United Kingdom #236 in the World

22% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1964 Founded

73

Finland | Tampere

University of Tampere

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Finland #238 in the World

12% Acceptance

18,400 Enrollment

1925 Founded

74

Netherlands | Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam

For Cognitive Science

#9 in Netherlands #240 in the World

53% Acceptance

18,000 Enrollment

1913 Founded

75

Spain | Madrid

Autonomous University of Madrid

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Spain #241 in the World

53% Acceptance

58,390 Enrollment

1968 Founded

76

Italy | Lombardy

University of Milan

For Cognitive Science

#6 in Italy #243 in the World

21% Acceptance

65,234 Enrollment

1924 Founded

77

Austria | Vienna

University of Vienna

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Austria #244 in the World

33% Acceptance

93,628 Enrollment

1365 Founded

78

Norway | Trondheim

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

For Cognitive Science

#2 in Norway #252 in the World

27% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1996 Founded

79

United Kingdom | England

Newcastle University

For Cognitive Science

#30 in United Kingdom #256 in the World

23% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1963 Founded

80

Netherlands | Enschede

University of Twente

For Cognitive Science

#10 in Netherlands #258 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,703 Enrollment

1961 Founded

81

Greece | Thessaloniki

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Greece #260 in the World

20% Acceptance

92,090 Enrollment

1925 Founded

82

Netherlands | Tilburg

Tilburg University

For Cognitive Science

#11 in Netherlands #261 in the World

57% Acceptance

19,178 Enrollment

1927 Founded

83

Belgium | Louvain-la-Neuve

Catholic University of Louvain

For Cognitive Science

#4 in Belgium #264 in the World

34% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1425 Founded

84

Ireland | Dublin

Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

For Cognitive Science

#1 in Ireland #266 in the World

48% Acceptance

20,430 Enrollment

1592 Founded

85

United Kingdom | England

University of Exeter

For Cognitive Science

#31 in United Kingdom #267 in the World

73% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1955 Founded

86

Sweden | Stockholm

Stockholm University

For Cognitive Science

#4 in Sweden #280 in the World

52% Acceptance

37,484 Enrollment

1878 Founded

87

Germany | Bavaria

University of Erlangen Nuremberg

For Cognitive Science

#18 in Germany #283 in the World

46% Acceptance

39,658 Enrollment

1743 Founded

88

Italy | Tuscany

University of Florence

For Cognitive Science

#7 in Italy #285 in the World

30% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1321 Founded

89

United Kingdom | England

University of Essex

For Cognitive Science

#32 in United Kingdom #289 in the World

52% Acceptance

29,000 Enrollment

1964 Founded

90

Sweden | Umea

Umea University

For Cognitive Science

#5 in Sweden #290 in the World

61% Acceptance

34,237 Enrollment

1965 Founded

91

Denmark | Aalborg

Aalborg University

For Cognitive Science

#3 in Denmark #291 in the World

40% Acceptance

20,353 Enrollment

1974 Founded

92

United Kingdom | England

Royal Holloway, University of London

For Cognitive Science

#33 in United Kingdom #292 in the World

55% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1849 Founded

93

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

University of Munster

For Cognitive Science

#20 in Germany #294 in the World

14% Acceptance

43,728 Enrollment

1780 Founded

94

Spain | Cerdanyola del Valles

Autonomous University of Barcelona

For Cognitive Science

#4 in Spain #296 in the World

54% Acceptance

30,926 Enrollment

95

Germany | Lower Saxony

University of Gottingen

For Cognitive Science

#21 in Germany #301 in the World

34% Acceptance

31,619 Enrollment

1734 Founded

96

Sweden | Linkoping

Linkoping University

For Cognitive Science

#6 in Sweden #302 in the World

41% Acceptance

22,441 Enrollment

1975 Founded

97

United Kingdom | England

University of Reading

For Cognitive Science

#34 in United Kingdom #306 in the World

37% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1892 Founded

98

Netherlands | Eindhoven

Eindhoven University of Technology

For Cognitive Science

#12 in Netherlands #312 in the World

50% Acceptance

13,069 Enrollment

1956 Founded

99

Germany | Brandenburg

Technical University of Berlin

For Cognitive Science

#22 in Germany #316 in the World

23% Acceptance

34,842 Enrollment

1946 Founded

100

Germany | Hesse

University of Marburg

For Cognitive Science

#23 in Germany #317 in the World

54% Acceptance

22,612 Enrollment

1527 Founded

100 Best Universities in Europe for Cognitive Science

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