2023 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools in California
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Computer & Information Sciences School for You
Computer & Information Sciences is the #11 most popular major in California with 20,550 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 44 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for computer and information sciences 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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Computer & Information Sciences Schools
Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best value school for computer and information sciences students who want to pursue a degree in California. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UC Berkeley are $14,226 a year. On average, computer and information sciences graduates from UC Berkeley take out $14,203 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $386, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our Best Computer & Information Sciences Schools in California rankings.
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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 and information sciences students. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, computer and information sciences graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $20,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $464, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Computer & Information Sciences Schools in California list.
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Out of the 44 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Channel Islands landed the # 3 spot on the list. CSUCI is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Camarillo.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUCI are $6,817 per year. On average, computer and information sciences graduates from CSUCI take out $24,685 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - Chico. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools in California list. Chico State is a large public school located in the midsize city of Chico.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Chico State are $7,864 a year. The average amount in student loans that computer and information sciences majors at Chico State take out is $17,002.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools in California list. CSULB is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, computer and information sciences majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $16,760 in student debt.
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California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer and information sciences students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly Pomona are $7,439 per year. After completing their degree, computer and information sciences graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $18,303.
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California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer and information sciences students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUMB are $7,218 a year. Computer & Information Sciences majors at CSUMB take out an average of $17,985 in student loans while working on their egree.
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California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer and information sciences programs. Located in the city of Northridge, CSUN is a public college with a very large student population.
CSUN undergraduate students pay an average of $7,043 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, computer and information sciences majors at CSUN accumulate an average of around $17,208 in student debt.
Full Computer & Information Sciences at California State University - Northridge Report
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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 and information sciences students. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large city of San Jose.
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 & Information Sciences Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer and information sciences programs. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Computer & Information Sciences majors at Sac State take out an average of $17,744 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Request InformationBest Value Computer & Information Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 5,454 |
| Oregon | 1,881 |
| Hawaii | 359 |
| Nevada | 486 |
| Alaska | 60 |
More Computer & Information Sciences Rankings in California
Computer & Information Sciences Related Majors for Computer & Information Sciences
Computer & Information Sciences Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Information Systems | 88,434 |
| Computer Science | 59,565 |
| Information Technology | 40,555 |
| Information Science | 18,325 |
| Computer Systems Networking | 14,700 |
| Computer Software & Applications | 14,336 |
| Computer Programming | 11,939 |
| Computer Systems Analysis | 2,338 |
| Data Processing | 1,955 |
| Other Computer & Information Sciences | 1,755 |
| Data Entry | 552 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Engineering | 198,468 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 177,778 |
| Engineering Technologies | 85,188 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 52,396 |
| Physical Sciences | 50,306 |
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 Almonroth.
More about our data sources and methodologies.