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2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region

39 Ranked Colleges
4,073 Degrees Awarded
$15,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Plains States region, there were 4,073 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,748 and $24,705 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 39 colleges that offer 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the computer science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 the Plains States Region”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region compsci students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science in the Plains States Region

1
Normandale Community College crest
Normandale Community College
Bloomington, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Normandale Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. Bloomington, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Normandale Community College, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Normandale Community College is $10,854 for plains states region compsci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Normandale Community College

2
LATI crest
Lake Area Technical Institute
Watertown, South Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lake Area Technical Institute. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. Watertown, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

LATI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend LATI is $13,301 for plains states region compsci students.

Full LATI Computer Science Report

3

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region compsci students list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,998 for plains states region 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%.

Read more about Computer Science at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

4
North Hennepin Community College crest
North Hennepin Community College
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Hennepin Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for North Hennepin Community College is $10,081 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at North Hennepin Community College

5

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest Missouri State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northwest Missouri State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 94 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $12,925 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Northwest Missouri State University

6

With a ranking of #6, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. Missouri State University - Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $16,718 for plains states region compsci students.

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%.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield Computer Science Report

7
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UCM is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 379 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

UCM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Missouri is $14,058 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at UCM

8
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 83 degrees to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan State University is $16,044 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Metro State Computer Science Report

9

Iowa State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 142 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,002 for plains states region compsci students per year to attend Iowa State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 more about Computer Science at Iowa State University

10
Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus crest
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Coon Rapids, Minnesota

Anoka-Ramsey Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Anoka-Ramsey Community College is a public institution located in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Anoka-Ramsey Community College is $11,719 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Anoka-Ramsey Community College

11

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 92 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $18,505 for plains states region 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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at UMN Duluth

12

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 98 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

UNOMAHA also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $13,914 for plains states region compsci students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of Nebraska at Omaha

13
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region compsci students list, Winona State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $17,634 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Winona State University

14

University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 17 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Morris is $10,529 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at UMN Morris

15
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 64 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region compsci students list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,581 for plains states region compsci students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at St. Cloud State University

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 645 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,878 for plains states region compsci students per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

17

University of Northern Iowa ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 48 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $16,438 for plains states region compsci students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 86%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Computer Science Report

18

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a public institution located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Moorhead is $17,680 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

19
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #19, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 114 students in 2020-2021.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,401 for plains states region compsci students per year to attend Iowa.

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 2.2% 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 Iowa Computer Science Report

20
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Bemidji, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $16,033 for plains states region compsci students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Bemidji State University

21
Saint Paul College crest
Saint Paul College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 5 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Paul College is $11,507 for Plains States Region CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Saint Paul College

22
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region list. Webster University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 31 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region compsci students list, Webster has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,248 for plains states region compsci students per year to attend Webster.

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 Webster

23

Maharishi International University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Fairfield, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 294 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.

MIU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,052 for Plains States Region CompSci students per year to attend MIU.

Full Maharishi International University Computer Science Report

24

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 219 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC also took the #19 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $15,702 for plains states region compsci students.

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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of Missouri - Kansas City

25
Missouri Western crest
Missouri Western State University
Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. Missouri Western State University is located in Saint Joseph, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Western is $10,897 for plains states region compsci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Missouri Western State University

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