2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California
40
Ranked Colleges
13,342
Degrees Awarded
$12,800
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value CompSci Schools in California” ranking.
Computer Science is the 12th most popular major in the country with 59,565 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, computer science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $67,538 and had an average of $23,620 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 13,342 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,080 and $19,754 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools in California” ranking analyzed 40 colleges that offered a degree in computer science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent computer science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the computer science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Computer Science Schools
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 “Best Value CompSci Schools in California”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value CompSci Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for california compsci students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science in California
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 856 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for California CompSci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Science at UC Berkeley
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 868 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $15,240 for california compsci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Science at University of California - San Diego
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value CompSci Schools in California. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 1,007 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for California CompSci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Computer Science at University of California - Irvine
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #4 spot on the list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 206 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california compsci students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Computer Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 215 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california compsci students list, UCSB has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for California CompSci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full UCSB Computer Science Report
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 729 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california compsci students list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california compsci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Computer Science at UC Santa Cruz
San Diego State University landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 381 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for California CompSci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Computer Science at San Diego State University
California State University - Northridge came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 228 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,523 for California CompSci students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full CSUN Computer Science Report
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 304 degrees to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california compsci students list, CSULB has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for california compsci students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Computer Science Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 310 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,178 for california compsci students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at Sac State
California State University - Fullerton came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 397 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for california compsci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Cal State Fullerton Computer Science Report
With a ranking of #12, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 297 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $14,304 for California CompSci students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Computer Science Report
California State University - East Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 280 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for California CompSci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - East Bay
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking, coming in at #14. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 268 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $14,459 for california compsci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Computer Science at San Francisco State University
San Jose State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 287 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,542 for California CompSci students per year to attend San Jose State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at San Jose State University
With a ranking of #16, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 90 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for California CompSci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at California State University - San Bernardino
California State University - San Marcos came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 217 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,218 for california compsci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at CSUSM
University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 316 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california compsci students list, UCR has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,822 for california compsci students per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full UCR Computer Science Report
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 93 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,218 for california compsci students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Chico Computer Science Report
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 170 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,597 for california compsci students per year to attend CSUMB.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at California State University - Monterey Bay
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 78 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,566 for California CompSci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Stan State Computer Science Report
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 182 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for california compsci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at Cal State LA
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Camarillo, California, and it awarded 68 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $14,928 for california compsci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California State University - Channel Islands Computer Science Report
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,563 for california compsci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at SSU
With a ranking of #25, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in California list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 69 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $6,230 for California CompSci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at California State University - Fresno
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