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2024 Best Computer & Information Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region

85 Colleges in the Plains States Region
14,658 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
$50,764 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in computer & information sciences is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #6 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 85 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for computer & information sciences students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 14,658 degrees in computer & information sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Computer & Information Sciences School

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

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Computer & Information Sciences Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Computer & Information Sciences
Bachelor's Degrees in Computer & Information Sciences
Master's Degrees in Computer & Information Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Computer & Information Sciences

The computer & information sciences 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 & Information Sciences 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 & Information Sciences in the Plains States Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the computer & information sciences degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

12 Top Plains States Region Schools in Computer & Information Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
379 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
$94,101 Median Starting Salary

Washington University in St Louis is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in computer & information sciences. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 379 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer & information sciences major at Washington University in St Louis earn $43,337 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
865 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
9.8% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in computer & information sciences. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were about 865 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the computer & information sciences program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $17,233 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

3
Hennepin Technical College crest
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, MN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
17.5% Growth in Graduates

Hennepin Technical College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in computer & information sciences. Located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park, Hennepin Technical College is a public college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #171 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Hennepin Technical College is a great college overall.

There were about 97 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at Hennepin Technical College in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the computer & information sciences program earn about $40,649 for their early career.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from Hennepin Technical College

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
325 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
20.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in computer & information sciences needs to look into University of St Thomas Minnesota. Located in the city of Saint Paul, UST MN is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UST MN is a great university overall.

There were about 325 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent data year. Computer & Information Sciences degree recipients from University of St Thomas Minnesota get an earnings boost of about $30,544 above the typical earnings of computer & information sciences graduates.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
215 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
$62,420 Median Starting Salary

Mizzou is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were roughly 215 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the computer & information sciences degree program at University of Missouri - Columbia earn $11,656 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from University of Missouri - Columbia

6
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
$76,876 Median Starting Salary

Carleton is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield. A Best Colleges rank of #93 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carleton is a great college overall.

There were about 54 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at Carleton in the most recent year we have data available. Those computer & information sciences students who get their degree from Carleton College receive $26,112 more than the standard computer & information sciences student.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from Carleton College

7
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
$70,658 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Grinnell, Grinnell is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Grinnell is a great college overall.

There were roughly 54 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at Grinnell in the most recent year we have data available. Those computer & information sciences students who get their degree from Grinnell College earn $19,894 more than the standard computer & information sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from Grinnell College

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
477 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
$71,184 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 477 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer & information sciences program at Iowa State University earn $20,420 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from Iowa State University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
24.6% Growth in Graduates

MCC is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Omaha. This college ranks 6th out of 19 schools for overall quality in the state of Nebraska.

There were about 134 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at MCC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the computer & information sciences program earn about $42,705 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from Metropolitan Community College

10
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
$64,919 Median Starting Salary

KU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lawrence. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 140 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Those computer & information sciences students who get their degree from University of Kansas receive $14,155 more than the average computer & information sciences grad.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from University of Kansas

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
256 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Missouri University of Science and Technology is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Rolla. A Best Colleges rank of #97 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Missouri University of Science and Technology is a great university overall.

There were approximately 256 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at Missouri University of Science and Technology in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the computer & information sciences degree program at Missouri University of Science and Technology earn $12,282 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in computer & information sciences from Missouri University of Science and Technology

12
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Computer & Information Sciences Degrees Awarded
29.0% Growth in Graduates

LATI is a small public school located in the remote town of Watertown. This school ranks 3rd out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were about 31 computer & information sciences students who graduated with this degree at LATI in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the computer & information sciences program state that they receive average early career earnings of $41,208.

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


 

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Computer & Information Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
13 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
14 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
15 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
16 Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN
17 Dakota State University Madison, SD
18 Bellevue University Bellevue, NE
19 Maharishi International University Fairfield, IA
20 Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN
21 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO

Best Computer & Information Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best computer & information sciences schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Kansas 38 1,205
Minnesota 38 3,677
Iowa 38 1,698
South Dakota 38 608
Missouri 38 3,492
Nebraska 36 1,372
North Dakota 35 313

View All Rankings >

Computer & Information Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Computer Information Systems 4,325
Computer Science 4,073
Information Technology 2,584
Computer Programming 1,347
Computer Systems Networking 819
Information Science 594
Computer Software & Applications 590
Computer Systems Analysis 251
Other Computer & Information Sciences 37
Data Processing 30

View All Computer & Information Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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