2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Computer Science Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 41 schools in California to see which 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 Schools
Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best value school for computer science students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UC Berkeley are $14,226 per year. 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.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Computer Science Schools in California list.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a great value for computer science students. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 per year. 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.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Schools in California list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Full Computer Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Channel Islands. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUCI are $6,817 per year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at CSUCI take out is $24,685.
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Out of the 41 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the # 4 spot on the list. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Pomona.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly Pomona are $7,439 a year. CompSci majors at Cal Poly Pomona take out an average of $18,303 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent programs at California State University - Long Beach helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in California. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from CSULB carry an average student debtload of $16,760.
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California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #6 on the list. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUMB are $7,218 a year. While working on their degree, compsci majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $16,119 in student debt.
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California State University - Chico came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Chico, Chico State is a public school with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chico State are $7,864 per year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Chico State take out is $18,503.
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California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer science programs. CSUN is a very large public school located in the large city of Northridge.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUN are $7,043 per year. On average, compsci graduates from CSUN take out $15,919 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #9, San Jose State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.
San Jose State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Schools in California list.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer science programs. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Sac State are $7,392 a year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Sac State take out is $17,744.
Full Computer Science at California State University - Sacramento Report
Request InformationBest Value Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Computer Science Schools 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.
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