2020 Best Colleges for Computer Information Systems
Approximately 74,454 computer information systems degrees were granted to students last year in the United States. With so many choices it can be a challenge finding the best fit for you. This year's Best Colleges for Computer Information Systems ranking analyzed 356 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in computer information systems. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 25 schools for Computer Information Systems students.
Choosing a Great Computer Information Systems School
Your choice of computer information systems school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A Great Overall School
The overall quality of a school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Over 80% of the schools in this list are in the top 9% of our overall quality ranking while the lowest ranked school on the list is still in the top 14%.
Above Average Earnings After Graduation
Computer Information Systems graduates from colleges on this list tend to earn more after college than those from other schools. While the average computer information systems bachelors degree from U.S. schools results in an average starting salary of $54,451, graduates of colleges on this list average $79,779.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on Computer Information Systems students vs. other majors.
- Major Popularity - How many other computer information systems students choose this school.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or a recognized computer information systems related accrediting body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for Computer Information Systems students.
Best Schools to Study Computer Information Systems in United States
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities to study computer information systems. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list. Of the 356 schools analyzed, only 25 earned the distinction of being on this list.
Top 25 Best CIS Colleges
It is hard to beat New Jersey Institute of Technology if you wish to pursue computer information systems as a major. NJIT is a fairly large public school located in the city of Newark. This school ranks 237th out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.
There are roughly 550 computer information systems undergrads enrolled in this program at NJIT. After getting their bachelor's degree, CIS students usually make around $62,500 at the beginning of their careers.
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Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is among your best bets if you want to study computer information systems. Located in the city Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 69 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Georgia Tech also offers 2 different higher degree levels in computer information systems, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Graduates from the computer information systems program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus earn $5,221 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
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It is hard to beat Carnegie Mellon University if you wish to study computer information systems. Located in the city Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 28 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great college overall.
There are approximately 846 computer information systems undergraduates enrolled in this degree at Carnegie Mellon.
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University of Pennsylvania is among your top options if you want to study computer information systems. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of 3 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great college overall.
University of Pennsylvania is a fairly popular college to study CIS in United States with over 384 graduates last year. Computer Information Systems majors from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of around $55,421 above the average income of computer information systems majors.
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JMU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg. This college ranks 186th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, JMU offers a Master's Degree in computer information systems. Soon after graduation, CIS students generally earn about $67,900 at the beginning of their careers.
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NYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. This school ranks 129th out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
For those interested in something more advanced, NYU also offers 3 different higher degree levels in computer information systems, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who graduate from this degree state that they receive average early career earnings of $76,700.
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Located in the city Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 84th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There are approximately 526 computer information systems undergrads studying this degree at UW Seattle. Grads of the CIS program state that they receive average early career income of $68,300.
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Located in the small city Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 12 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great school overall.
A preferred choice for computer information systems undergraduates, there are approximately 225 individuals enrolled in this program at Cornell. Grads of the CIS program state that they receive average early career wages of $79,600.
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Located in the suburb College Park, UMCP is a public college with a very large student population. This school ranks 103rd out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
For those interested in something more advanced, UMCP also offers 2 different higher degree levels in computer information systems, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. After graduating, CIS students usually make about $81,300 in their early careers.
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Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of 16 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great school overall.
A preferred major for computer information systems undergraduates, there are approximately 357 students enrolled in this degree at Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins University computer information systems majors receive $12,921 more than the average CIS student.
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Located in the city Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 77 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Northeastern is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Northeastern also offers 2 different higher degree levels in computer information systems, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Graduates from the computer information systems major at Northeastern University get $6,021 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
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Located in the suburb Clemson, Clemson is a public college with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 108th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.
There are roughly 230 computer information systems undergrads enrolled in this degree at Clemson. Grads of the CIS program report average early career income of $63,400.
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UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of 78 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great school overall.
A favorite choice for computer information systems undergraduates, there are approximately 622 individuals enrolled in this program at UT Austin. Graduates of the CIS program earn around $76,200 in the first couple years of their career.
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Bentley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waltham. A Best Colleges rank of 59 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means Bentley is a great school overall.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, Bentley offers a Master's Degree in computer information systems. Students who graduate from the CIS program earn about $64,900 in their early career salary.
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Located in the city Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 79th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
With 321 undergrads, Virginia Tech is one of most popular schools to study CIS in United States. Virginia Tech computer information systems students make $3,821 more than the typical CIS graduate.
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Located in the large city Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of 15 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means Rice is a great college overall.
Rice University is a fairly popular college to study CIS in United States exceeding 185 graduations last year. Computer Information Systems students from Rice University receive an earnings boost of around $32,121 above the typical income of computer information systems majors.
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Wisconsin is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. This school ranks 80th out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There are roughly 598 computer information systems undergrads studying this program at Wisconsin. Students who graduate from the CIS program make an average of $71,500 in their early career salary.
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Located in the midsize city New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 4 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great college overall.
A popular major for computer information systems undergraduates, there are about 144 students studying this program at Yale. Computer Information Systems graduates from Yale University receive an earnings boost of approximately $40,521 above the average earnings of computer information systems majors.
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GMU is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax. This college ranks 230th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
For those interested in something more advanced, GMU also offers 3 different higher degree levels in computer information systems, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who graduate from the CIS program earn an average of $64,300 in the first couple years of working.
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Located in the city New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public college with a very large student population. This college ranks 151st out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.
With 488 students enrolled, Rutgers University - New Brunswick is one of most popular colleges to study CIS in United States. Soon after graduating, CIS students usually earn an average of $70,300 in the first five years of their career.
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University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of 33 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great college overall.
A favorite major for computer information systems undergrads, there are about 201 learners studying this degree at University of Virginia. Computer Information Systems students from University of Virginia - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of about $6,021 over the average earnings of computer information systems majors.
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UT Dallas is a fairly large public school located in the city of Richardson. This college ranks 239th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
For those interested in something more advanced, UT Dallas also offers 3 different higher degree levels in computer information systems, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. After getting their bachelor's degree, CIS students typically earn an average of $64,800 in the first five years of their career.
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Located in the large suburb Newark, U of Delaware is a public college with a very large student population. This school ranks 92nd out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Delaware.
A preferred major for computer information systems undergraduates, there are about 129 individuals studying this degree at U of Delaware. Soon after graduation, CIS students usually earn about $67,600 at the beginning of their careers.
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Located in the city Gainesville, U of F is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 73 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means U of F is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, U of F also offers 2 different higher degree levels in computer information systems, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who complete this degree report average early career earnings of $74,200.
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Located in the city Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. This school ranks 117th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There are approximately 286 computer information systems undergraduates enrolled in this program at Illinois Tech. Graduates of the CIS program state that they receive average early career income of $60,900.
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Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Colleges for Computer Information Systems badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 356 different United States computer information systems schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Brown University | Providence, RI |
| 52 | University at Albany | Albany, NY |
| 53 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for CIS students that almost earned our Best Colleges for Computer Information Systems award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI |
| 55 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 56 | University of New Hampshire - Main Campus | Durham, NH |
| 57 | University of Missouri - Columbia | Columbia, MO |
| 58 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
| 59 | Bucknell University | Lewisburg, PA |
| 60 | Oklahoma State University - Main Campus | Stillwater, OK |
| 61 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
| 62 | Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA |
| 63 | Union College New York | Schenectady, NY |
| 64 | Hamilton College | Clinton, NY |
| 65 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 66 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 67 | St Lawrence University | Canton, NY |
| 68 | Trinity College | Hartford, CT |
| 69 | Brigham Young University - Provo | Provo, UT |
| 70 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA |
| 71 | Rutgers University - Newark | Newark, NJ |
Computer Information Systems by Region
View the Best Colleges for Computer Information Systems for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| The Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Computer Information Systems Rankings
Computer Information Systems Related Rankings by Major
Computer Information Systems is one of 10 different types of Computer & Information Sciences programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to CIS
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | 44,313 |
| Information Technology | 30,179 |
| Information Science | 17,384 |
| Computer Systems Networking | 13,791 |
| Computer Software & Applications | 11,900 |
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to U.S. Army graphic.
Featured Information Systems Schools
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Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
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Purdue University Building on Purdue’s mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Global delivers a fully personalized online experience that’s tailored to working adults. By opening the doors to adults who need flexibility to fit learning into their busy lives, we make it possible to achieve a high-quality education from the prestigious Purdue University system—completely online. Learn More > |
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Grand Canyon University (GCU) With a spotlight on intellectual creativity and innovation for the 21stcentury, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU provides a job focused education. It blends the study of traditional humanities in a modern context. Through academic inquiry and beyond the box thinking, the college advances our society and its accomplishments. Learn More > |
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| Northcentral University Northcentral University (NCU) was founded to provide accessible, high-quality, online graduate degrees to working professionals. As a regionally accredited, online university, NCU serves students worldwide, focusing on Doctoral and Master's degree programs in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Sciences. Learn More > |
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| Colorado Technical University (CTU) CTU could help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional community, faculty who are real-world professionals, and innovative technology. Learn More > |
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