2023 Best Value Mathematics & Computer Science Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Mathematics & Computer Science School for You
In 2020-2021, 475 degrees and certificates were awarded to mathematics and computer science students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #129 most popular major in the state.
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Mathematics & Computer Science Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 6 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for math and 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.
Best California Schools for Affordable Quality in Mathematics & Computer Science
Our analysis found University of California - Irvine to be the best value school for mathematics and computer science students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UC Irvine are $13,775 a year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Mathematics & Computer Science Schools in California list. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the city of La Jolla.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UCSD are $14,700 per year. After completing their degree, math and compsci graduates from UCSD carry an average student debtload of $17,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $258, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its great value ranking, UCSD is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Mathematics & Computer Science Schools in California list.
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The excellent programs at San Diego State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best mathematics and computer science schools in California. SDSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Diego.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SDSU are $8,136 a year.
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The excellent programs at Harvey Mudd College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best mathematics and computer science schools in California. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.
Harvey Mudd College undergraduate students pay an average of $60,703 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Math & CompSci majors at Harvey Mudd College take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Santa Clara University is a great value for mathematics and computer science students. SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Santa Clara.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SCU are $55,860 a year. After completing their degree, math and compsci graduates from SCU carry an average student debtload of $24,450.
SCU also made our Best Mathematics & Computer Science Schools in California list, coming in at #4.
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Pepperdine University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for mathematics and computer science students. It came in at #6 on the list. Pepperdine is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Malibu.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pepperdine are $59,702 per year.
Full Mathematics & Computer Science at Pepperdine University Report
Request InformationBest Value Mathematics & Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Mathematics & Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 26 |
| Oregon | 39 |
More Mathematics & Computer Science Rankings in California
Majors Related to Math & CompSci
One of 44 majors within the area of study, mathematics and computer science has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 34,975 |
| Biological & Physical Science | 30,075 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 9,074 |
| International Studies | 7,368 |
| Nutrition Science | 5,330 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 6 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 Toresbe.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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