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2024 Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region

41 Colleges in the Plains States Region
4,073 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$62,748 Avg Early-Career Salary
Computer Science is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #12 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 41 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for computer science students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 4,073 degrees in computer science to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Computer Science School

Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of computer science school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Computer Science School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Computer Science Degree Level

Associate Degrees in CompSci
Bachelor's Degrees in CompSci
Master's Degrees in CompSci
Doctor's Degrees in CompSci

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 the Best Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Computer Science in the Plains States Region

The schools below may not offer all types of compsci degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in CompSci

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
280 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$94,849 Median Starting Salary

Washington University in St Louis is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in computer science. WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 280 computer science students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Those computer science students who get their degree from Washington University in St Louis receive $32,101 more than the average compsci student.

More information about a degree in computer science from Washington University in St Louis

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
645 CompSci Degrees Awarded
14.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great option for students pursuing a degree in computer science. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 645 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer science program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities get $6,491 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in computer science from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$76,876 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Carleton College if you want to pursue a degree in computer science. Located in the town of Northfield, Carleton is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #93 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carleton is a great college overall.

There were about 54 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Carleton in the most recent year we have data available. Computer Science degree recipients from Carleton College receive an earnings boost of about $14,128 above the typical earnings of computer science graduates.

More information about a degree in computer science from Carleton College

4
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$70,658 Median Starting Salary

Grinnell College is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in computer science. Grinnell is a small private not-for-profit college located in the remote town of Grinnell. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Grinnell is a great college overall.

There were about 54 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Grinnell in the most recent data year. Those computer science students who get their degree from Grinnell College earn $7,910 more than the average compsci graduate.

More information about a degree in computer science from Grinnell College

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$71,184 Median Starting Salary

Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 142 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Computer Science degree recipients from Iowa State University receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,436 over the average income of computer science majors.

More information about a degree in computer science from Iowa State University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
31 CompSci Degrees Awarded
29.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the remote town of Watertown, LATI is a public school with a small student population. This school ranks 3rd out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were roughly 31 computer science students who graduated with this degree at LATI in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the compsci program state that they receive average early career income of $41,208.

More information about a degree in computer science from Lake Area Technical Institute

7
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IA
114 CompSci Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were approximately 114 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in computer science from University of Iowa

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 CompSci Degrees Awarded
38.2% Growth in Graduates

UST MN is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Paul. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UST MN is a great university overall.

There were approximately 55 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer science major at University of St Thomas Minnesota make $3,323 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in computer science from University of St Thomas Minnesota

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
50 CompSci Degrees Awarded
24.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 12th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 50 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Normandale Community College in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the compsci program state that they receive average early career wages of $36,969.

More information about a degree in computer science from Normandale Community College

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 CompSci Degrees Awarded
$109,488 Median Starting Salary

MIU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the remote town of Fairfield. This university ranks 6th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 294 computer science students who graduated with this degree at MIU in the most recent year we have data available. Those computer science students who get their degree from Maharishi International University make $46,740 more than the typical compsci grad.

More information about a degree in computer science from Maharishi International University


 

Best Computer Science Colleges by State

Explore the best computer science colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 1,411
Missouri 283 1,350
Kansas 266 229
Iowa 264 755
Nebraska 238 122
North Dakota 210 113
South Dakota 204 38

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Computer & Information Sciences area of study, Computer Science has other similar majors worth exploring.

CompSci Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Computer Science 4,073

View All CompSci Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to CompSci

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer Information Systems 4,325
Information Technology 2,584
Computer Programming 1,347
Computer Systems Networking 819
Information Science 594
Computer Software & Applications 590
Computer Systems Analysis 251
Other Computer & Information Sciences 37
Data Processing 30
Data Entry 8

View All CompSci Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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