2023 Best Value Data Science Schools
14
Ranked Colleges
541
Degrees Awarded
$17,600
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Data Science Schools” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Data Science is the 282nd most popular major in the country with 541 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Best Value Data Science Schools” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in data science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality data 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 data science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 Data Science Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Data Science Schools
The colleges and universities below are the best for data science students.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Data Science
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Data Science Schools. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified ’s data science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our data science students list, Texas Tech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $16,194 for data science students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Data Science at Texas Tech University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Metropolitan State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s data science students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Metro State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Metro State is $16,044 for Data Science students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 more about Data Science at Metropolitan State University
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Data Science Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
BGSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for Data Science students.
Full BGSU Data Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Data Science Schools. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 11 ’s data science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $13,346 for Data Science students.
Full UW - Stevens Point Data Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston - Downtown. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Data Science Schools. University of Houston - Downtown is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UH Downtown also made our “Best Data Science Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Downtown is $12,044 for Data Science students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Data Science at University of Houston - Downtown
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools ranking, coming in at #6. UW - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Data Science Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $13,092 for Data Science students.
Read full report on Data Science at UW - Green Bay
University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Data Science Schools list. UW - Superior is located in Superior, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
UW - Superior not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Superior is $14,084 for Data Science students.
Full UW - Superior Data Science Report
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools ranking, coming in at #8. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 4 ’s data science degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa also took the #3 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,401 for Data Science students per year to attend University of Iowa.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Iowa Data Science Report
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools ranking, coming in at #9. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s data science degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our data science students list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Data Science students.
Read more about Data Science at Eastern Michigan University
Colorado State University - Fort Collins ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Data Science Schools list. Fort Collins, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s data science degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Colorado State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State is $18,679 for data science students.
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 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 Data Science at Colorado State University - Fort Collins
University of Vermont landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools ranking. Located in Burlington, Vermont, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s data science students in 2020-2021.
UVM also took the #2 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,509 for Data Science students per year to attend University of Vermont.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Data Science at University of Vermont
Centre College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Data Science Schools list. Centre College of Kentucky is a small school located in Danville, Kentucky that handed out 7 ’s data science degrees in 2020-2021.
Centre College of Kentucky also took the #8 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,426 for data science students per year to attend Centre College of Kentucky.
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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Data Science at Centre College of Kentucky
William & Mary landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools ranking. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,593 for data science students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Data Science at William & Mary
Mount Holyoke College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Data Science Schools ranking. Mount Holyoke College is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 7 ’s data science degrees in 2020-2021.
Mt. Holyoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Mount Holyoke College is $28,724 for Data Science students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Data Science at Mount Holyoke College
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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
- *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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