2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
40
Ranked Colleges
13,342
Degrees Awarded
$12,600
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 59,565 people earned their degree in computer science, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States. 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 40 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the computer science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The compsci 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 CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid”.
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 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 Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for california compsci students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science in California (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools 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 628 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $12,894 for california compsci students with aid.
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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Stanford Computer Science Report
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 856 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for California CompSci students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Computer Science at University of California - Berkeley
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 868 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california compsci students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for California CompSci students with aid.
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 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%.
Read more about Computer Science at University of California - San Diego
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 182 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,302 for california compsci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Computer Science Report
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 1,007 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #6 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,209 for california compsci students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at University of California - Irvine
California State University - Fullerton ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 397 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for california compsci students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal State Fullerton Computer Science Report
California State University - Northridge landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 228 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california compsci students with aid list, CSUN has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for california compsci students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Northridge Computer Science Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 215 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california compsci students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for California CompSci students with aid.
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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Science at University of California - Santa Barbara
California State University - Sacramento ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 310 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
Sac State also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $11,178 for California CompSci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
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%.
Read full report on Computer Science at Sac State
California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 304 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
CSULB also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for california compsci students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 CSULB
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 90 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,026 for California CompSci students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.
Full CSUDH Computer Science Report
University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. 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 yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for california compsci students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCR Computer Science Report
San Diego State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 381 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $13,845 for California CompSci students with aid per year to attend SDSU.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 San Diego State University
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for california compsci students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read full report on Computer Science at Fresno State
Pomona College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 made our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Pomona College is $17,949 for California CompSci students with aid.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Pomona Computer Science Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 729 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california compsci students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 UC Santa Cruz Computer Science Report
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,107 for california compsci students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 85%.
Read full report on Computer Science at CSUSB
With a ranking of #18, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $26,542 for california compsci students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read more about Computer Science at California Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #19, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 297 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,304 for California CompSci students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 full report on Computer Science at Cal Poly Pomona
San Jose State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 287 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,542 for california compsci students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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.
Full San Jose State Computer Science Report
California State University - East Bay ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 280 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for California CompSci students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Science at Cal State East Bay
California State University - Channel Islands came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Camarillo, California, and it awarded 68 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california compsci students with aid list, CSUCI has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california compsci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.
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%.
Full CSUCI Computer Science Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 78 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,566 for california compsci students with aid per year to attend Stan State.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 California State University - Stanislaus Computer Science Report
California State University - San Marcos came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 217 ’s compsci degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,218 for california compsci students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Computer Science at California State University - San Marcos
California State University - Chico ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 93 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,218 for california compsci students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Science at California State University - Chico
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