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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

41 Ranked Colleges
2,296 Degrees Awarded
$11,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Computer Science is the 11th most popular major in the country with 53,722 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Plains States region, there were 3,769 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,296 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 41 colleges that offered a degree in computer science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great computer science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the computer science program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $5,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full WUSTL Computer Science Report

#2

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carleton College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

Carleton also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Carleton is $9,579 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Carleton College Computer Science Report

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 462 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Read more about Computer Science at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 22 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Morris has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $4,230 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Minnesota - Morris

#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 124 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Computer Science at Iowa State

#7

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

St Olaf College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,459 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Olaf.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Computer Science at St Olaf College

#8

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

Grinnell College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grinnell College is located in Grinnell, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

Grinnell also took the #3 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,945 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grinnell College.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Grinnell College

#9

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

UNI also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $10,757 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Computer Science at UNI

#10

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#20 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 49 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $10,688 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Computer Science at St. Cloud State University

#14 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 85 degrees to qualified bachelors’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,524 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University Computer Science Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also took the #21 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,490 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Computer Science Report

#13

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#17 in overall quality

Winona State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $12,381 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Winona State University

#14

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #14, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $7,401 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Computer Science at University of Missouri - St Louis

#15

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Saint Johns University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SJU is located in Collegeville, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, SJU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Johns University is $14,683 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 SJU Computer Science Report

Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Marshall, Minnesota, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $10,801 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Computer Science at Southwest Minnesota State University

#17

Concordia University, Saint Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

Concordia University, Saint Paul came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Saint Paul also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $13,423 for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia University, Saint Paul.

Read full report on Computer Science at Concordia University, Saint Paul

#18

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $10,632 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Computer Science at Bemidji State University

#19

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#22 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMKC is $12,065 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Computer Science Report

#20

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Central Missouri is a medium-sized public school situated in Warrensburg, Missouri. It awarded 69 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,608 for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCM.

Read more about Computer Science at University of Central Missouri

#25 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $12,527 for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Missouri State Computer Science Report

#22

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

Simpson College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indianola, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Simpson College, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Simpson College is $15,357 for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 Simpson College

#23

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#16 in overall quality

Saint Louis University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SLU is $20,051 for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full SLU Computer Science Report

#24

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Gustavus Adolphus is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

Gustavus Adolphus also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $12,150 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Gustavus Adolphus

Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,484 for plains states region bachelor’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Minnesota State University - Moorhead.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Computer Science Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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