Coogan attended Phillips Exeter Academy for two years, where she played squash and field hockey.
She then attended Smith College, graduating in 1987, where she majored in mathematics and took up running for the first time, and became the two-time NCAA Division III champion in the 3,000 meters.
[2] Coogan went on to earn her Ph.D. in math from the University of Colorado in 1999, working primarily in number theory.
She did post-doctorate work with Ken Ono at the University of Wisconsin–Madison,[3] taught at Hood College, and currently teaches mathematics at Phillips Exeter Academy.
[4] As of January 2024[update], she holds the George Albert Wentworth Professor in Mathematics position at Exeter.