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2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

70 Ranked Colleges
4,220 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Great Lakes region, there were 6,241 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,976 and $24,610 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,220 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 70 colleges that offered a degree in computer science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality computer science programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science in the Great Lakes Region

Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #1 spot on the list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Computer Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#2

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at UW - Platteville

#3

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Computer Science Report

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s compsci degrees to 134 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Northern Illinois University

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s compsci degrees to 469 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Computer Science Report

#7

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

With a ranking of #7, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 24 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Purdue Northwest

#8

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #8, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 59 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read more about Computer Science at WMU

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on Computer Science at UIS

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 53 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at Illinois State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at SIUC

#12

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Full Youngstown State University Computer Science Report

#13

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Eastern Michigan University

#14

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Eastern Illinois University

#15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read more about Computer Science at UWM

#16

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s compsci degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $12,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Franklin University

#17

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s compsci degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $17,278 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Cleveland State University

#18

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan

Baker College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Baker College is located in Owosso, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Baker College is $15,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Baker College Computer Science Report

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Science at USI

#20

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. PFW is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It awarded 50 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne is $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read more about Computer Science at PFW

Kent State University at Kent came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend Kent State.

Full Kent State University at Kent Computer Science Report

#22

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Southeast is a public institution located in New Albany, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read more about Computer Science at Indiana University - Southeast

#23

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Full Central Michigan Computer Science Report

#24

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Governors State University

With a ranking of #25, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 291 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 more about Computer Science at UIUC

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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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