2023 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science (Income $0-$30k) in California
39
Ranked Colleges
13,342
Degrees Awarded
$7,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Computer Science is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 8th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 59,565 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
Across California, there were 13,342 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 39 colleges that offered a degree in computer science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent computer science programs, but they also 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 628 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Stanford Computer Science Report
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.
Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $-539 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Institute of Technology. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California Institute of Technology Computer Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 856 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $8,450 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Computer Science at UC Berkeley
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 868 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 California - San Diego
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pomona College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 33 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
Pomona also took the #8 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pomona is $8,629 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Computer Science at Pomona College
University of California - Irvine landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 1,007 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,540 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Computer Science at UC Irvine
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 182 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Los Angeles
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 215 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Science at University of California - Santa Barbara
California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 397 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 California State University - Fullerton
With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 1,386 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,287 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full USC Computer Science Report
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 729 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,038 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad 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 UC Santa Cruz
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 381 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $7,169 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 89%.
Read more about Computer Science at San Diego State University
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 316 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $6,810 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 91%.
Full UCR Computer Science Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 310 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Computer Science Report
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 228 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also took the #24 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Northridge Computer Science Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 304 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $6,663 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Computer Science Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 206 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $2,657 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Dominguez Hills
California State University - Fresno came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 69 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Fresno
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 90 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,985 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 85%.
Full CSUSB Computer Science Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 297 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Computer Science at Cal Poly Pomona
Harvey Mudd College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.
Harvey Mudd College also took the #7 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvey Mudd College is $15,492 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Harvey Mudd College Computer Science Report
San Jose State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 287 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $12,158 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at San Jose State
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 78 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,122 for California Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Computer Science Report
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 280 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for california computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at California State University - East Bay
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