2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois
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 6th in Illinois. In fact, 3,680 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 23 schools in Illinois 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.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Computer Science Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best value school in Illinois for computer science students. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per year. On average, compsci graduates from UIUC take out $18,500 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $477, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
UIUC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois list. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUE are $11,496 a year. On average, compsci graduates from SIUE take out $24,429 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in Illinois. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $13,968 in in-state tuition and fees each year. CompSci majors at Illinois State take out an average of $24,194 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Illinois State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois list. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chicago.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIC are $15,603 a year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from UIC carry an average student debtload of $19,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $280, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
UIS undergraduate students pay an average of $12,053 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, compsci graduates from UIS take out $27,689 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Eastern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Governors State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GSU are $10,108 per year. On average, compsci graduates from GSU take out $22,178 in student loans while working on their degree.
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DePaul University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at DePaul are $42,012 a year.
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Northern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per year. CompSci majors at NIU take out an average of $23,759 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 $205.
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Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #10 on the list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Chicago.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 per year. While working on their degree, compsci majors at Northeastern Illinois University accumulate an average of around $15,900 in student debt.
Request InformationBest Value Computer Science Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 623 |
| Ohio | 1,016 |
| Indiana | 1,471 |
| Wisconsin | 248 |
More Computer Science Rankings in Illinois
Computer Science Related Majors for CompSci
Computer Science is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to CompSci
| 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 23 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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