2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science in California
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 53,722 people earned their degree in computer science, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 12,060 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,912 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 43 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in computer science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality computer science programs that also have a lower cost than 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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The computer science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science in California
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 845 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s computer science students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Computer Science at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 435 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 students.
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 220 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 California State University - Long Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Monterey Bay. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. CSUMB is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 173 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students per year to attend CSUMB.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 145 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 805 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree computer science students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
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 student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Full University of California - Irvine Computer Science Report
California State University - Chico landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students.
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%.
Full California State University - Chico Computer Science Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 264 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
With a ranking of #10, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - San Marcos ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 161 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fresno landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s computer science students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 209 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at San Diego State University
San Jose State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 163 students in 2019-2020.
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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at San Jose State University
San Francisco State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 265 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students per year to attend San Francisco State University.
California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 239 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. CSUCI is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 64 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 California State University - Channel Islands
Sonoma State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 66 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at Sonoma State University
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 94 bachelors’s computer science degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - San Bernardino
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 61 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Bakersfield
California State University - East Bay came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 667 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s computer science students in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 67 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree computer science students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer science degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer Science students.
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%.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Negative Space.
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