by our College Data Analytics Team
[Computer Science](/majors/computer-information-sciences/computer-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong computer science education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for computer science students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the computer science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Lake Area Technical Institute earned the #1 spot for value among computer science schools in South Dakota. Located in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,718. Computer Science graduates carry a median of $12,458 in student loans. Early-career computer science graduates make about $43,424. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.