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2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

43 Ranked Colleges
7,912 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Computer Science is the 19th most popular major in the country with 53,722 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, computer science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $66,561 and had an average of $23,565 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 12,060 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $70,794 and $21,538 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.

For this year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree in computer science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent computer science programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in California 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science in California (With Aid)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

The 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 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 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 Stanford University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 119 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Los Angeles

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 845 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at UC Berkeley

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 805 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Computer Science at UC Irvine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 264 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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.

Full California State University - Fullerton Computer Science Report

University of California - San Diego landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 435 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

Read more about Computer Science at UCSD

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 57 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Dominguez Hills

California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Northridge

California State University - Fresno landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Computer Science at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 220 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Computer Science Report

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Bakersfield

#12

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

California Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s compsci degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $24,274 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California Institute of Technology Computer Science Report

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 209 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Computer Science at SDSU

#14

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

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.

Full UCSB Computer Science Report

#15

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 165 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 more about Computer Science at University of California - Riverside

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 67 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Stanislaus

#17

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

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 University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s compsci degrees to 239 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Sac State Computer Science Report

With a ranking of #19, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 238 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - San Marcos ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Marcos is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSM Computer Science Report

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 667 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low 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%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Computer Science Report

#22

Pomona College

Claremont, California

Pomona College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Pomona College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 34 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid list, Pomona has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pomona is $17,458 for California Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Pomona College Computer Science Report

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 173 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid 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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Monterey Bay

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid list, San Jose State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

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%.

Full San Jose State University Computer Science Report

#25

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 265 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree compsci students with aid.

Full SFSU Computer Science Report

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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.

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