2023 Best Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Computer Science Bachelor's Degree 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 Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 41 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for compsci students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo the best value school in California for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 a year. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $464.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 10% of our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of California - Berkeley helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value computer science schools in California. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UC Berkeley are $14,226 a year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at UC Berkeley take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $14,717. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $386.
UC Berkeley also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means California State University - Channel Islands is a great value for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUCI are $6,817 a year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at CSUCI take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,127.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at California State University - Long Beach helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value computer science schools in California. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSULB are $6,846 a year. CompSci majors at CSULB take out an average of $18,120 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Pomona.
Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $7,439 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, compsci majors at Cal Poly Pomona accumulate an average of around $18,459 in student debt.
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California State University - Chico landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Chico, Chico State is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Chico State are $7,864 a year. On average, compsci graduates from Chico State take out $20,453 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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With a ranking of #7, San Jose State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $7,852 per year.
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With a ranking of #8, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. CSUMB is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside.
CSUMB undergraduate students pay an average of $7,218 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, compsci majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $16,556 in student debt.
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California State University - Northridge landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. CSUN is a very large public school located in the city of Northridge.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUN are $7,043 a year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, compsci graduates from CSUN carry an average student debtload of $19,348.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, compsci graduates from Sac State take out $19,221 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Request InformationBest Value Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
More Computer Science Rankings in California
Computer Science Related Majors for CompSci
Computer Science is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
- 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.