[Informatics](/majors/computer-information-sciences/computer-information-systems-cis/informatics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for informatics students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the informatics degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in informatics, no school beat Clemson University this year. Clemson University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for informatics graduates is $22,498. Early-career informatics graduates make about $73,374. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Clemson University admits about 38% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of South Carolina Columbia one of the best values for informatics. University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. In-state tuition and fees average $12,688, compared with $36,298 for out-of-state students. Informatics graduates carry a median of $25,250 in student loans. Early-career informatics graduates make about $68,597. Set against $25,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
