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.
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2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for compsci majors pursuing a .
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 medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly 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.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UC Berkeley is ranked #3 for overall quality for compsci in California.
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.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each 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 excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Schools in California list.
Full Computer Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
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 suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
CSUCI undergraduate students pay an average of $6,817 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at CSUCI take out is $24,685.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Channel Islands
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a great value for computer science students. Cal Poly Pomona is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Pomona.
Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $7,439 in in-state tuition and fees each year. CompSci majors at Cal Poly Pomona take out an average of $18,303 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
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 very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSULB are $6,846 a year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from CSULB carry an average student debtload of $16,760.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUMB are $7,218 per year. While working on their degree, compsci majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $16,119 in student debt.
Full Computer Science at California State University - Monterey Bay Report
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Chico did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. Located in the midsize city of Chico, Chico State is a public college 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.
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Northridge did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. CSUN is a very large public school located in the large city of Northridge.
CSUN undergraduate students pay an average of $7,043 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, compsci graduates from CSUN take out $15,919 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Northridge
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 school 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 also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California ranking. 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.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Sacramento
Best 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.
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