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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Computer Science

983 Ranked Colleges
59,565 Degrees Awarded
$34,500 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Computer Science Major

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 “Most Well Attended Computer Science Major” 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.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Computer Science Major” ranking, we looked at 983 colleges that offer a degree in computer science. To top this list, a school must have a successful computer science program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Computer Science Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Computer Science Major

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

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 1,386 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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. 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%.

Full University of Southern California Computer Science Report

2

Out of the 983 schools in the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,007 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Computer Science Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 986 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Computer Science at Arizona State University - Tempe

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 929 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Computer Science Report

5

Out of the 983 schools in the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 901 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Read more about Computer Science at UIUC

6

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. UNC Charlotte is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 880 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

7

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 898 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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. The low undergrad 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%.

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

8
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking, coming in at #8. Oregon State is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 873 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 85%.

Full Oregon State Computer Science Report

9

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking, coming in at #9. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 868 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of California - San Diego Computer Science Report

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 856 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 full report on Computer Science at University of California - Berkeley

11
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 744 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Computer Science at Cornell University

12

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking, coming in at #12. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 729 students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at UC Santa Cruz

13

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 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.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 MIT Computer Science Report

14

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 645 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Computer Science at UMN Twin Cities

15
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 630 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Computer Science at SUNY Stony Brook

16
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #16, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 628 students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Computer Science at Stanford University

17

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 602 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CU - Boulder Computer Science Report

18
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking, coming in at #18. Purdue 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.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Computer Science at Purdue

19

University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking. UMass Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 550 ’s computer science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Computer Science at UMass Amherst

20
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #20, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 520 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 94%.

Read full report on Computer Science at NC State

21

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 504 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 full report on Computer Science at UCLA

22

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 501 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Computer Science at University of Illinois at Chicago

23

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking, coming in at #23. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 470 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus

24

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major ranking, coming in at #24. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at UNC Chapel Hill

25
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #25, Western Governors University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Computer Science Major list. WGU 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at Western Governors University

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Computer Science Major

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

26
27
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
28
29
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
30
31
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
32
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri
33
34
35
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
36
37
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
38
SNHU crest
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire
39
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
40
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York
41
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York
42
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
43
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
44
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas
45
45
47
48
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Computer Science Major

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
51Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, VA
53Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY
54Maharishi International UniversityFairfield, IA
55Weber State UniversityOgden, UT
56Colorado Technical University - Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO
57San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
58Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
58California State University - East BayHayward, CA
60San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
61University of DaytonDayton, OH
62Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
63University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
63University of Washington - Bothell CampusBothell, WA
65Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA
RankCollegeLocation
66University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
67George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
68University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
69Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
70University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
71University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
72Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
73California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
74Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
75University of Illinois at SpringfieldSpringfield, IL
76Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
77University of Missouri - Kansas CityKansas City, MO
78California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
79University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
80Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
81California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
82Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
83Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
84University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
85University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
86LaGuardia Community CollegeLong Island City, NY
87Towson UniversityTowson, MD
88Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
89Georgia Institute of Technology - Main CampusAtlanta, GA
90Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO
RankCollegeLocation
90California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
92The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
93Pace University - New YorkNew York, NY
94Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
95Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
96University of RochesterRochester, NY
97Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
97California State University - Monterey BaySeaside, CA
99Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeNew York, NY
100Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
101Lewis UniversityRomeoville, IL
102University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
103The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
104De Anza CollegeCupertino, CA
105Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
106Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
107Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA
108The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
109Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL
110Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
110Kent State University at KentKent, OH
112University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
113Wichita State UniversityWichita, KS
113University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
115Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
RankCollegeLocation
116Governors State UniversityUniversity Park, IL
117Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA
118Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
118Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
118Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA
121The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
122University of IowaIowa City, IA
123College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, NY
124University of VermontBurlington, VT
124University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
126Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
127University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
127Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
129University of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette, LA
129North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
131Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
132Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI
133Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, TN
134University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
134University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
134University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
137Harrisburg University of Science and TechnologyHarrisburg, PA
137University of Colorado at Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO
139University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
139University of Houston - Clear LakeHouston, TX
RankCollegeLocation
139Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
142Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, MO
143California State University - ChicoChico, CA
144Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
144University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
146Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
146Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
148California State University - Dominguez HillsCarson, CA
148California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA

Notes and References

References

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