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2024 Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region

41 Colleges in the Plains States Region
3,924 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$63,543 Avg Early-Career Salary
Computer Science is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #12 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 41 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for computer science students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,924 degrees in computer science during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Computer Science School

Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of computer science school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Computer Science School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Computer Science Degree Level

Associate Degrees in CompSci
Bachelor's Degrees in CompSci
Master's Degrees in CompSci
Doctor's Degrees in CompSci

The compsci school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Computer Science in the Plains States Region

The schools below may not offer all types of compsci degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in CompSci

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
289 CompSci Degrees Awarded
3.1% Growth in Graduates

Washington University in St Louis is a great choice for students interested in a degree in computer science. WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 289 computer science students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available. Those computer science students who get their degree from Washington University in St Louis make $31,306 more than the average compsci grad.

More information about a degree in computer science from Washington University in St Louis

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
633 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$69,239 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a good option for students interested in a degree in computer science. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 633 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Computer Science degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities get an earnings boost of approximately $5,696 over the average income of computer science graduates.

More information about a degree in computer science from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 CompSci Degrees Awarded
8.5% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Carleton College if you wish to pursue a degree in computer science. Located in the town of Northfield, Carleton is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #93 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carleton is a great college overall.

There were roughly 59 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Carleton in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer science degree program at Carleton College make $13,333 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in computer science from Carleton College

4
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 CompSci Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

Grinnell College is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in computer science. Grinnell is a small private not-for-profit college located in the remote town of Grinnell. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Grinnell is a great college overall.

There were approximately 56 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Grinnell in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the computer science degree program at Grinnell College earn $7,115 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in computer science from Grinnell College

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$71,184 Median Starting Salary

Iowa State is a very large public university located in the small city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 131 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the computer science degree program at Iowa State University get $7,641 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in computer science from Iowa State University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
32 CompSci Degrees Awarded
3.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the remote town of Watertown, LATI is a public school with a small student population. This school ranks 3rd out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were about 32 computer science students who graduated with this degree at LATI in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the compsci program state that they receive average early career wages of $41,208.

More information about a degree in computer science from Lake Area Technical Institute

7
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IA
96 CompSci Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were approximately 96 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in computer science from University of Iowa

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$66,071 Median Starting Salary

UST MN is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Paul. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UST MN is a great university overall.

There were roughly 53 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent data year. Computer Science degree recipients from University of St Thomas Minnesota earn a boost of around $2,528 over the typical income of computer science majors.

More information about a degree in computer science from University of St Thomas Minnesota

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
50 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$36,969 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 12th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 50 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Normandale Community College in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the compsci program state that they receive average early career income of $36,969.

More information about a degree in computer science from Normandale Community College

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
352 CompSci Degrees Awarded
16.5% Growth in Graduates

MIU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Fairfield. This university ranks 6th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 352 computer science students who graduated with this degree at MIU in the most recent data year. Those computer science students who get their degree from Maharishi International University make $45,945 more than the standard compsci student.

More information about a degree in computer science from Maharishi International University

Best Computer Science Colleges by State

Explore the best computer science schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Minnesota2841,411
Missouri2831,350
Kansas266229
Iowa264755
Nebraska238122
North Dakota210113
South Dakota20438

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Computer & Information Sciences area of study, Computer Science has other similar majors worth exploring.

CompSci Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Computer Science3,924

View All CompSci Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to CompSci

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Computer Information Systems4,327
Information Technology2,487
Computer Programming1,290
Computer Systems Networking791
Computer Software & Applications570
Information Science521
Computer Systems Analysis249
Other Computer & Information Sciences40
Data Processing33
Data Entry8

View All CompSci Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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