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Best Computer Science Schools in California

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2023 Best Computer Science Schools in California

41 Colleges
$72,080 Avg Salary
$19,754 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Computer Science School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, computer science was ranked 9th in California. In fact, 13,148 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Computer Science Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 41 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Computer Science Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for compsci majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Computer Science Schools

Our 2023 rankings named California Institute of Technology the best school in California for computer science students. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena.

Full Computer Science at California Institute of Technology Report

#2

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Harvey Mudd College is a great place for computer science students. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.

After completing their degree, compsci graduates from Harvey Mudd College carry an average student debtload of $21,250.

Read full report on Computer Science at Harvey Mudd College

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

The excellent programs at Stanford University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in California. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.

The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Stanford take out is $13,645.

Read More…

#4

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

Out of the 41 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Pomona is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Computer Science at Pomona College Report

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for computer science students. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.

CompSci majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $14,203 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $386.

Full Computer Science at University of California - Berkeley Report

University of California - San Diego did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for computer science students. It came in at #6 on the list. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the city of La Jolla.

On average, compsci graduates from UCSD take out $17,575 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $308, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of California - San Diego

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #7 on this year’s Best Computer Science Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.

CompSci majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $464.

Full Computer Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report

University of Southern California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for computer science students. It came in at #8 on the list. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

CompSci majors at USC take out an average of $20,178 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $453.

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With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best schools for computer science students. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at UCSB take out is $17,338.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of California - Santa Barbara

University of California - Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for computer science students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at UC Irvine take out is $16,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $177.

Read More…

Best Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 1,551
Oregon 1,282
Nevada 152
Hawaii 152
Alaska 31

Computer Science is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer Information Systems 88,434
Information Technology 40,555
Information Science 18,325
Computer Systems Networking 14,700
Computer Software & Applications 14,336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Negative Space.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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