2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Computer Science School for You
Computer Science is the #12 most popular major in the country with 59,565 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 45 schools in the Plains States Region 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 2023 rankings named North Hennepin Community College the best value school in the Plains States Region for computer science students. Located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
North Hennepin Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,882 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from North Hennepin Community College carry an average student debtload of $23,000.
North Hennepin Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Lake Area Technical Institute. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region list. LATI is a small public school located in the town of Watertown.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at LATI are $6,718 a year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from LATI carry an average student debtload of $14,250.
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Out of the 45 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Normandale Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Normandale Community College are $5,789 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Normandale Community College also is in the top 15% of our Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Anoka-Ramsey Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region list. Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Coon Rapids.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus are $5,515 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus also did well on our Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grantham University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Lenexa, Grantham University is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Grantham University are $8,280 a year. On average, compsci graduates from Grantham University take out $30,627 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Computer Science at Grantham University Report
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Northwest Missouri State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,919 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #7, Saint Paul College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Paul College are $6,041 per year.
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Metropolitan State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer science programs. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Metro State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Metro State are $9,394 per year. CompSci majors at Metro State take out an average of $25,686 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Computer Science at Metropolitan State University Report
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Butler Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer science programs. Located in the town of El Dorado, Butler CC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Butler CC are $5,976 per year.
Read full report on Computer Science at Butler Community College
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Saint Cloud State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer science programs. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a large student population.
St. Cloud State University undergraduate students pay an average of $18,010 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at St. Cloud State University take out is $27,000.
Request InformationBest Computer Science Colleges by State
Explore the best computer science schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 1,360 |
| Minnesota | 1,411 |
| Kansas | 229 |
| Iowa | 755 |
| Nebraska | 122 |
| North Dakota | 113 |
| South Dakota | 38 |
More Computer Science Rankings in the Plains States Region
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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