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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science (Income $0-$30k)

211 Ranked Colleges
12,651 Degrees Awarded
$43,100 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 12,651 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 211 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the computer science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Computer Science Schools

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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 306 masters’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Computer Science at Stanford University

#2

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 45 masters’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Duke has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Duke University Computer Science Report

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 94 masters’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760.

Full University of Pennsylvania Computer Science Report

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified masters’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Computer Science at Harvard University

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Computer Science at Northwestern University

#6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s computer science degrees to 239 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $56,719.

Read full report on Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#7

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#9 in overall quality

Brown University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 107 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Computer Science at Brown University

#8

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 164 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #8 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548.

Read more about Computer Science at UChicago

#9

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#3 in overall quality

Cornell University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s computer science degrees to 279 students in 2019-2020.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042.

Full Cornell University Computer Science Report

#10

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#14 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s computer science degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #14 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562.

Read more about Computer Science at Washington University in St Louis

#11

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#16 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified masters’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also took the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Computer Science at Vanderbilt

#11 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 384 diplomas to qualified masters’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#13

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#21 in overall quality

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Georgetown University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 18 masters’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #21 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown University are $53,591, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Computer Science at Georgetown

#14

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#17 in overall quality

Dartmouth College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hanover, New Hampshire is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s computer science degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth College are $58,120, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Computer Science at Dartmouth College

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s computer science degrees to 442 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Computer Science at Columbia University in the City of New York

Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 43 masters’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to computer science quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Computer Science at UW Seattle

#17

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Tufts University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified masters’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts University are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Computer Science at Tufts University

#18

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Computer Science at UNC Chapel Hill

#19

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#22 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified masters’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Computer Science at University of California - Berkeley

#20

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 61 masters’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMCP is also in the top of our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Computer Science Report

#21

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#25 in overall quality

North Carolina State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 281 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at North Carolina State University are $28,999.

Read full report on Computer Science at NC State

Top 15% in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 152 degrees to qualified masters’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Georgia Tech is also in the top of our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus are $31,334.

Read full report on Computer Science at Georgia Tech

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 45 masters’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126.

Full USF Tampa Computer Science Report

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified masters’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723.

Read more about Computer Science at Cal State LA

#18 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 294 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #18 spot in our “Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - San Diego are $28,631.

Read more about Computer Science at University of California - San Diego

Rest of the Best 32 in Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 32 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#27

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#29

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#31

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#32

Queens College

Queens, New York

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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