2024 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science in Pennsylvania
19
Ranked Colleges
1,957
Degrees Awarded
$25,600
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Pennsylvania, there were 1,957 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $78,562 and $27,446 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in computer science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality computer science programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science in Pennsylvania
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Pitt is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,058 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Pitt Computer Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania. Pitt Johnstown is a public institution located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitt Johnstown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt Johnstown is $17,457 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
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 full report on Computer Science at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania. Bloomsburg is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
Bloomsburg also took the #11 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,639 for Pennsylvania CompSci students per year to attend Bloomsburg.
Read full report on Computer Science at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania list. Kutztown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania compsci students list, Kutztown University has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University is $23,227 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
Full Kutztown University Computer Science Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Harrisburg Area Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
HACC also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Harrisburg Area Community College is $11,608 for pennsylvania compsci students.
Full Harrisburg Area Community College Computer Science Report
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 96 degrees to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is $14,494 for pennsylvania compsci students.
Full Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Computer Science Report
Central Penn College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Central Penn College is a small school located in Summerdale, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania compsci students list, Central Penn has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,065 for pennsylvania compsci students per year to attend Central Penn.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Computer Science at Central Penn
York College of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. York, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,233 for pennsylvania compsci students per year to attend YCP.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at YCP
Keystone College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Keystone College is a small school located in La Plume, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Keystone College, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Keystone College is $25,268 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
Read full report on Computer Science at Keystone College
La Salle University landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 20 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
La Salle also took the #8 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for La Salle is $25,819 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at La Salle
Duquesne University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duquesne, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duquesne University is $31,383 for pennsylvania compsci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at Duquesne
Villanova University landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Villanova is a fairly large school located in Villanova, Pennsylvania that handed out 91 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
Villanova also took the #5 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Villanova is $43,577 for pennsylvania compsci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Computer Science at Villanova University
La Roche University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
La Roche also took the #14 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for La Roche University is $21,892 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at La Roche University
With a ranking of #14, South Hills School of Business & Technology did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania list. South Hills School of Business & Technology is located in State College, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Hills School of Business & Technology, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Hills School of Business & Technology is $18,366 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Computer Science at South Hills School of Business & Technology
University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #15. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 199 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania compsci students list, UPenn has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $25,046 for pennsylvania compsci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 98%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Computer Science at University of Pennsylvania
Drexel University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #16. Drexel is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 195 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Drexel, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $35,963 for Pennsylvania CompSci students per year to attend Drexel.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Drexel University Computer Science Report
Lehigh University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Lehigh is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania compsci students list, Lehigh has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh University is $34,384 for Pennsylvania CompSci students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Lehigh University Computer Science Report
With a ranking of #18, Widener University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania list. Widener is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 18 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Widener, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Widener University is $31,792 for pennsylvania compsci students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Science at Widener
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CompSci Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #19. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 340 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $36,775 for pennsylvania compsci students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Report
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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