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2023 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science (With Aid)

386 Ranked Colleges
59,565 Degrees Awarded
$12,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 59,565 computer science students received their degree, making the major the 8th most popular in the country.

This year’s “Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 386 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the computer science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Computer Science Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for computer science students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science (With Aid)

1

Out of the 386 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 470 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for Computer Science students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Computer Science at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2
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Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. Stanford University 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.

Stanford also made our “Best Computer Science Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $12,894 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend Stanford.

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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Computer Science at Stanford University

3

Out of the 386 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 spot on the list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 461 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Computer Science students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Computer Science Report

4
BHCC crest
Bunker Hill Community College
Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bunker Hill Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. Bunker Hill Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 39 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, BHCC is in the top on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,913 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend Bunker Hill Community College.

Read more about Computer Science at BHCC

5
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 572 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. It costs about $13,377 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Computer Science Report

6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 692 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT also took the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,407 for computer science students with aid per year to attend MIT.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full MIT Computer Science Report

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 901 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for computer science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Computer Science at UIUC

8
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #8, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 187 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. It costs about $13,872 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend Harvard.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Harvard

9
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Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #9, Western Governors University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Western Governors University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 459 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend WGU is $9,969 for computer science students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 more about Computer Science at Western Governors University

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 856 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for Computer Science students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at University of California - Berkeley

11

University of California - San Diego came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 868 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our computer science students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $15,240 for computer science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of California - San Diego

12

The City College of New York ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 135 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,805 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend The City College of New York.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Computer Science at The City College of New York

13
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Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 213 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,158 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend Hunter.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Hunter College

14

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 182 diplomas to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for computer science students with aid.

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%.

Full Cal State LA Computer Science Report

15

University of California - Irvine landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 1,007 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine excels when it comes to computer science quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $12,209 for computer science students with aid.

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 full report on Computer Science at UC Irvine

16

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 146 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for computer science students with aid.

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 more about Computer Science at UT Rio Grande Valley

17
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Queens College is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 334 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,469 for computer science students with aid per year to attend QC.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full QC Computer Science Report

18

Collin County Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Located in McKinney, Texas, this large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Collin County Community College District is $7,040 for Computer Science students with aid.

Read full report on Computer Science at Collin County Community College District

19

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 929 diplomas to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our computer science students with aid list, UMCP has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $18,048 for computer science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Maryland - College Park

20
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. El Centro College is a public institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,739 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend El Centro College.

Read more about Computer Science at El Centro College

21

With a ranking of #21, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Virginia Community College is located in Annandale, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 296 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,452 for Computer Science students with aid per year to attend Northern Virginia Community College.

Read full report on Computer Science at Northern Virginia Community College

22
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 46 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Williams is $23,497 for computer science students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Williams College Computer Science Report

23

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 263 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, IU Bloomington also did well on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Computer Science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full IU Bloomington Computer Science Report

24
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 404 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Computer Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $32,459 for computer science students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Duke Computer Science Report

25

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 898 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our computer science students with aid list, Columbia has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,823 for computer science students with aid per year to attend Columbia.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at Columbia University in the City of New York

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Lehman College
Bronx, New York
27
28
29
29
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
31
32
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana
33
34
35
36
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas
37
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts
38
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
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40
41
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
42
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44
45
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
46
47
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
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50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Computer Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Bellevue CollegeBellevue, WA
52Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
53University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
54California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
55University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
56Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, NM
57California State University - Dominguez HillsCarson, CA
58Brown UniversityProvidence, RI

Notes and References

References

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