2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
39
Ranked Colleges
13,342
Degrees Awarded
$8,900
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Computer Science is the 12th most popular major in the country with 59,565 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, computer science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $67,538 and had an average of $23,620 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 13,342 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,080 and $19,754 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 39 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Computer Science Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science (Income $30-$48k) in California
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 628 students in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,581 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Read more about Computer Science at Stanford University
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 84 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $12,190 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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.
Read more about Computer Science at Caltech
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 856 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Berkeley Computer Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 868 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $11,176 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Computer Science at University of California - San Diego
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 1,007 ’s compsci degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $8,449 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 UC Irvine
Pomona College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
Pomona also took the #8 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $6,239 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Computer Science at Pomona
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 182 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,701 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 397 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Fullerton
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 215 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,606 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Computer Science Report
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 729 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,049 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Computer Science Report
University of Southern California landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 1,386 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,345 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 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.
Read more about Computer Science at USC
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 228 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at CSUN
University of California - Riverside ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 316 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,193 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Science at UCR
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 310 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Sac State Computer Science Report
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,329 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.
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
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,655 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 more about Computer Science at California State University - Fresno
San Diego State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 381 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,274 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 SDSU
California State University - Long Beach landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 304 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 CSULB
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,613 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 85%.
Full CSUSB Computer Science Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 297 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,992 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 78 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,903 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Stan State
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 206 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #11 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,194 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Computer Science Report
San Jose State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
San Jose State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,378 for California CompSci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 more about Computer Science at San Jose State
California State University - East Bay ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 280 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,025 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Full California State University - East Bay Computer Science Report
California State University - Channel Islands came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 68 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUCI also took the #21 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,125 for california compsci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Full California State University - Channel Islands Computer Science Report
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