
[Informatics](/majors/computer-information-sciences/computer-information-systems-cis/informatics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong informatics education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 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.
Leading the list is Clemson University, our #1 best value for informatics in South Carolina. Clemson University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Informatics graduates carry a median of $22,498 in student loans. Early-career informatics graduates make about $73,374. That is a strong return on a $22,498 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in informatics will find it at University Of South Carolina Columbia, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,688 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,298. Students borrow a median of $25,250 to complete the informatics program here. Soon after graduation, informatics degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Columbia generally make around $68,597. That is a strong return on a $25,250 median debt. University Of South Carolina Columbia admits about 60% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 1 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.