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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Information Science (Income $0-$30k)

155 Ranked Colleges
9,617 Degrees Awarded
$6,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 18,368 people earned their degree in information science, making the major the 56th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, information science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $58,848 and had an average of $32,600 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,617 information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 155 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in information science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great information science programs and cost less that 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 information science program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Information Science (Income $0-$30k)

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 155 schools in the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #2 spot in our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,456 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full California Institute of Technology Information Science Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s IS degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also made our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Information Science at Northwestern University

Out of the 155 schools in the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 167 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Information Science at U-M

#4

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Baruch College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 244 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Baruch not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $1,858 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at Baruch

#5

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 559 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Information Science at UMCP

#6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $4,026 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on Information Science at UNC Chapel Hill

#6 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s IS degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also took the #6 spot in our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,916 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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.

Full Columbia Information Science Report

#8

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,353 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Boston College Information Science Report

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $2,637 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU - I Information Science Report

New York City College of Technology landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s IS degrees to 268 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,456 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend City Tech.

Read more about Information Science at City Tech

#11

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 66 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $234 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Information Science at Lehman

#12

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #12, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,106 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Full Brooklyn College Information Science Report

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also took the #17 spot in our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $10,755 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Information Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology

With a ranking of #14, University of Maryland - Baltimore County did quite well on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMBC is a fairly large public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 248 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

UMBC also made our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $10,820 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMBC.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Information Science at University of Maryland - Baltimore County

#15

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Northeastern University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s IS degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern also made our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $10,239 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northeastern Information Science Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 1 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Information Science Report

#17

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 126 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,317 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech.

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

Full Texas Tech Information Science Report

#18

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

Towson University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Towson, Maryland, this large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,206 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Towson University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Full Towson University Information Science Report

#19

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland

Salisbury University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Salisbury, Maryland, this medium-sized public school handed out 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

Salisbury also claimed a top spot on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Salisbury University is $11,432 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at Salisbury University

#20

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Information Science at UCR

#21

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 168 degrees to qualified bachelors’s IS students in 2019-2020.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $14,196 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Information Science at JMU

#22

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s IS degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend NKU is $4,156 for Bachelor’s Degree IS students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Kentucky University Information Science Report

#23

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s IS degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, GVSU is in the top on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Information Science Report

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 116 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UIC also did well on our “Best Information Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Information Science Report

Eastern Florida State College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cocoa, Florida, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s IS degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Florida State College is $4,806 for bachelor’s degree is students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Information Science at Eastern Florida State College

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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