Study at the leading technology and research institutions in the country and improve your career prospects in line with your personal goals. There is a Computer Science school right in the town of your choosing, with courses to meet every schedule preference, curriculum tailored to your interests within Computer Science, and alumni that include leading CEOs, pioneers in their fields, and even astronauts.
Computer Science is ushering in breakthrough research discoveries that are transforming humankind faster than ever before. No wonder why countless students from all corners of the world are deciding to pursue higher education in Computer Science. A research-oriented master’s program in Computer Science leads you through a corridor that opens gates of first-rate research activity in the electrifying fields of Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, Cryptography, and many more disciplines. On the other hand, a professional degree provides students with robust real-world training for a lucrative career in the industry.
You will find answers to all your questions about Best Ivy League for Computer Science, Best Ivy League for Computer Science Program, Best Ivy League for Computer Science Requirements and Best Ivy League for Computer Science Courses.
Best Ivy League for Computer Science Program
Computer Science that does not lead to a PhD. The candidates must complete 45 units of course work in the program. Most of the students complete the program in six quarters and only those who have substantial knowledge and prior experience related to the coursework can complete it in a year. A student can also acquire this degree with a distinction in research. Ten approved specialization areas are provided in this program which includes Artificial Intelligence, Biocomputation, Computer and Network Security, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Management and Analytics, Mobile and Internet Computing, Real-World Computing, Software Theory, Systems, and Theoretical Computer Science.
Best Universities for Computer Science
The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019, released today, includes a ranking of the 600 (extended from 500) top universities around the world for computer science, based on a methodology which includes academic reputation, research impact and other factors.
If you want to study computer science in the US, you’re spoilt for choice, with 109 US universities featuring in the 2019 table. Read on as we count down the study destination’s top 10, all of which make the global top 20.
10. New York University (NYU)
Up an impressive 13 spots to rank 20th in this year’s computer science ranking, New York University (NYU) is one of the highest ranked universities in New York City, and receives a very high score for the ‘citations per paper’ indicator, a measure of research impact.
NYU has been associated with 37 Nobel Laureates and seven Turing Award winners, as well as a large number of inventions and discoveries, ranging from defibrillators, pacemakers, television, cordless telephones, contact lenses and many more.
9. Columbia University
Also based in New York, Columbia University climbed six places this year to rank joint 18th for computer science alongside China’s Peking University. Like NYU, it gains its best score in the citations per paper indicator, and is well known as a center of important research. It benefits from its location in the huge metropolis of New York City and aims to attract a diverse student body and faculty. One of the most selective US universities, Columbia counts 38 billionaires among its alumni.
8. University of Washington
Ranked 17th for computer science this year and eighth in the US, the University of Washington receives high scores for both citations per paper and the ‘H-index’, another measure of research impact. The university’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, which opened its doors in 2003, is a state-of-the-art, 85,000 square-foot facility which cost $72 million. Computer science is one of the most popular majors at Washington, but admission is highly competitive, with only a third of undergraduate applicants successful.
7. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is ranked joint 13th with Princeton University this year and earns its strongest score in the citations per paper category of the computer science ranking. UCLA is known for being the birthplace of the Internet, as nearly 50 years ago in October 1969 a team from the university sent the very first message over the ARPANET, an early computer network which formed the basis for the Internet.
6. Princeton University
Next in our look at the top computer science schools in the US is Princeton University, down slightly this year at joint 13th. An Ivy League university, Princeton achieves a near-perfect score for citations per faculty member as well as a high score for the H-index. Its Department of Computer Science within the School of Engineering and Applied Science has educated numerous notable figures such as the ‘father of computer science’ Alan Turing, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos, and Google executive Eric Schmidt.
5. Harvard University
Harvard University is ranked seventh among the world’s top computer science schools and may be an ideal choice if you’re concerned about your chosen university’s reputation among graduate employers, as it receives a consistently perfect score in the employer reputation indicator. Its John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is involved in ground-breaking research to tackle some of the fundamental problems in science and engineering, and will open a new state-of-the-art expanded campus in Allston in 2020.
4. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
Ranked fourth both in the US and globally in the computer science ranking, the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) offers two flexible, highly selective undergraduate programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS), which combines the fundamentals of electrical engineering and computer science in one major. The other option, a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, gives students the flexibility to explore other fields of interest.
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is ranked third in the world and among the top computer science schools in the US this year, once again achieving a perfect score in the academic reputation category. It’s another school known for being a center of many discoveries and innovations in this field, such as the first Wi-Fi network (created on campus in 1993), several of the first artificial intelligence software programs and programming languages, and Navlab, the first autonomous car program.
2. Stanford University
Although many of the top computer science schools featured in this list have claimed impressive scores in the citations per faculty and/or H-index indicators (both measures of research impact), none of them can overtake Stanford University, which achieved perfect scores for both.
Founded in 1965, Stanford’s Computer Science Department is unique for its location in Silicon Valley, as well as its impressive cohort of successful alumni, such as the founders or co-founders of Netflix, Google, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
And finally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continues to be the world leader in this year’s computer science ranking (as well as claiming the overall number one spot in the QS World University Rankings® for seven years in a row).
Students at MIT’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science benefit from a vast range of programs and resources, including the Advanced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (SuperUROP), the EECS Communication Lab, the 6-A MEng Thesis Program, and more. Like Stanford, its alumni includes the founders of household names such as Buzzfeed, DropBox, Intel, HuffPost and Hewlett-Packard.
Other top universities in the US for computer science
Of course, there are dozens more top computer science schools in the US, with 10 more institutions ranked among the global top 50, including Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) (24th), Cornell University (25th), California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (joint 29th) and the University of Texas at Austin (also ranked joint 29th).
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Best Ivy League For Computer Science 2021
I’ll give you two answers , the “conventional” one and then the “real” one.
1. The “Conventional” Answer
Your chance of acceptance will be the same as every other major.
When you apply to an Ivy League college, you don’t apply as a “computer scientist” or even as a “STEM major.” Rather, all applicants are lumped together into one centralized pool regardless of intended major.
There’s two reasons for this:
- These colleges know that you’re probably going to change your major once, twice, maybe even three times before deciding on what you actually want to study. That’s the point of a liberal arts education, and the point of college.
- Ivy League universities are not vocational schools. They don’t really care what you study so long as you are growing intellectually and developing critical thinking skills. Again, liberal arts.
2. The “Real” Answer
Your chance of acceptance will be higher than it would be when applying to a more technical institution (e.g. MIT, Stanford). According to CS Rankings , the highest ranked Ivy League school when it comes to CS is Cornell at #7, followed by Columbia at #12. Harvard and Yale aren’t even top 20.
Ranking of undergraduate programs by CS graduate job placement rates/wages (Image Source)
The Ivy Leagues are known to be weaker at CS, and they recognize this fact as well. Thus, they’re spending a lot of time and money (e.g. Harvard , Yale ) recruiting new CS professors and strong CS undergrads/grad students to improve their programs.
So yes, if you’re interested in CS and are applying to MIT and Harvard/Yale/Princeton, you probably have a much better shot at getting into the Ivies.
So does that mean you should apply to Harvard as a “computer scientist” since they need more CS? Unfortunately, the answer is a bit more complicated than that for 2 reasons:
a. Everyone programs
Everybody, it seems, has caught onto the fact that the Ivies want to improve their CS programs, and that CS is the future. As a result, the skill has unfortunately become commoditized.
The number of CS majors at elite colleges has grown almost exponentially. (Note: At MIT, 6.2 is Electrical Engineering & CS, 6.3 is CS)
High schoolers who taught themselves to code after-school and have built a dozen websites/love programming are a dime a dozen these days. This makes it incredibly hard to distinguish yourself as a CS applicant unless you do something truly exceptional (e.g. found a start-up, place at the USACO, do algorithms research, etc.)
b. Top-heavy field
Because CS is such a math/engineering-focused field, this means that it is much easier for the nation’s “top” CS students to distinguish themselves from the rest of the population.
This occurs in the same way that the nation’s “top” math students become fairly identifiable — there are objective measures for how well you perform at math (e.g. doing well in a competition, publishing a paper), whereas for fields like English, History, etc. it’s harder to objectively rank applicants.
Harvard’s admissions rate for students who declare different majors. CS is at the bottom, tied with engineering. (Image Source)
It’s therefore much easier for the admissions office to rank two CS applicants against one another than it would be had they declared their interest in a humanities or social sciences field. Thus, even if you’re not one of the “top” CS students in the nation, by applying as a “computer scientist” you’re basically asking the admissions office to lump you in the “CS” pool.
The US’s 2019 International Olympiad in Informatics team. To a certain extent, these are the students to whom your CS application will get compared.
This means you’ll be ranked against the pool of all other CS-interested applicants, which includes the top CS students in the nation.
And because there are somewhat more “quantifiable” or “standardized” metrics for comparing CS candidates than there are for comparing applicants with other intended majors, you’ll probably look relatively worse off because of it.
Best Undergraduate Computer Science Schools
Now, I’m a weird case because throughout my life I’ve earned the opportunity to study or work directly at some of the best universities in the world. During my life, I’ve hopped across multiple schools, including MIT, Oxford, Columbia, Imperial College, Caltech, Stanford and Berkeley.
So based on my experience, I’ve decided to create a top of schools for computer science in 2020 so that you folks, who are looking to get a degree in computer science can have a clue of what schools are great to attend to.
I want to admit, that this is based on my personal viewpoint and I believe there are many other awesome schools for computer science, which I won’t mention in this article purely because I haven’t had direct experience with them. In all the cases below, I’ve either studied, worked, or been close friends with people who have taken or helped teach the classes and programs mentioned.
best ivies for computer science
The Ivy League
So let’s start with the Ivy League. There are 8 schools that compose the Ivy League: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, and Yale.
Ivy League crests, courtesy of the Torch
These schools have arguably the “best” reputation” in general, and you typically find them dominating the top 10 “Best Colleges” on US News, Forbes, and Business Insider.
All of these schools have great computer science degrees based on my friend’s opinions. Among all of them, I think that the best one is a tie breaker between Harvard and Columbia. For schedule flexibility, Brown is the most lenient, while UPenn and Cornell are arguably some of the physically largest universities in the “League.” Both Yale and Princeton have much smaller, tight knit communities, being a little bit isolated from “larger, big cities.”
1. Columbia University
Columbia is nestled in the heart of NYC, and has that pulse of Manhattan, with both the ups and the downs that come with big city life.
Columbia University, Morningside Campus. Bird’s eye view from the North East
I’ve only taken courses or studied at two of these — Columbia and Harvard. Both of these schools have highly structured computer science programs, and I’ve worked with some extremely bright, sharp, and hard working undergraduates, grad students, and faculty from these two universities.
Over time, I’ve observed that specific CS classes at both Columbia and Harvard possess such a powerful following that they create communities complete with their own internal norms and cultures.
A top class at Harvard is CS50, taught by the charismatic David Malan. Last I checked, CS50 gives students a taste of C, Python, Javascript with CSS and HTML, and SQL. In terms of customizing your CS education at Harvard, it’s very flexible with the option to explore a unique“Mind Brain and Behavior track,” along with exploring joint concentrations.
At Columbia, the CS program is strongly integrated with other divisions and schools. There are somewhere around 7 different specializations, that range from “intelligent systems” to “robotics.” One standout class at Columbia which I’ve noticed gives undergraduates a nice advantage after they finish their studies is their exposure to C and C++. Professor “J” used to teach this class and as a mandatory requirement, I recall many of my undergrad friends and students telling me this class was brutal. However, years later, in the work-force, their exposure to C, C++, and UNIX shell scripting served them well.
So, if you’re looking for a computer science degree, consider that while all of the Ivy League schools can give you a solid and reliable CS education; the top options are Harvard and Columbia.
And now let’s talk about schools that are not Ivy League but offer a world class education in computer science in the US.
2. Stanford
Stanford is nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, and offers ample industry-academic opportunity. They do a lot of innovative research in Theory, Human Computer Interaction, and artificial intelligence. They currently have 17 Nobel Laureates teaching on campus. I used to work out of the basement in the Huang Engineering and Science Center ( named after CEO Jensen Huang of NVIDIA), and I will tell you — the hustle spirit at Stanford is STRONG.
I’ve seen students work late into the night in the basement here, with groups of about 8–15 students huddled around massive tables and TA’s tirelessly answering all their questions. When I imagine the CS spirit of collaboration, I always imagine the teamwork exhibited bystanders Stanford students. From friends who went to MIT with me and went on to Stanford for their Master’s, a key element that stood out was the observed happiness level.
Some people might attribute this to the fact that with most Stanford CS courses ( and this is definitely not all, there are some difficult classes), somewhere between 30–50% of students can get an A. This was a huge shock for one of my friends who also went to MIT with me, because the curve was definitely not that generous. Not that grades are a super accurate indicator of being an excellent engineer ( they really aren’t), but the pressure of not having to freak out about having an excellent GPA must be a relief and welcome alternative from other, less forgiving institutions.
3. Berkeley
And now let’s discuss Berkeley. Relative to the other schools mentioned, Berkeley is among the top public schools and a more affordable option. If you’re from California and budget conscious, then Berkeley is a great alternative.
Berkeley campus, taken by brainchildvn hosted on Flickr
I personally worked with Blockchain at Berkeley and have several friends studying there in Computer Science and Robotics. Known to be pressure cooker, competition for space in class is fierce, but this comes with the territory of most public universities.
I recall that CS 61A with Denero transformed the lives of several people in my friend group, laying a solid foundation for people who had never programmed or written software before they turned 18 or started college. Likewise, CS 61B, Data Structures would be among the most critical course to prepare you for the technical part of a software engineering interview. So if you’re not afraid of large classes, you’re competitive, and you’re short on money, then Berkeley is an excellent choice.
*The California Institute of Technology
Many people would argue that Caltech is among the toughest schools on the West Coast. It’s one of the smallest universities in the USA, with a population of roughly 200 students per class. They also usually are considered our rivals at MIT. Their core curriculum is aggressive — all students are required to study quantum mechanics.
The Center for Autonomous Systems is a new initiative launched at Caltech, with some incredible faculty dedicated to developing Robotic Explorers, Guardians, Transformers, and Transporters. Sound sci-fi? You bet! I’m pretty confident when I say that what we think of science fiction today will become tomorrow’s scientific reality due to the amazing work at Caltech. If you want to have a challenge, have the opportunity for ample one-on-one mentorship and communication with faculty, and want to be half an hour away from La-La Land, then check out Caltech.
5. Carnegie Mellon University
The last on this list Carnegie Mellon. Now, this school is particularly fascinating because it is both among the Top in Computer Science and the top in Drama. The students from this school are committed, passionate, and they are no stranger to challenge. Some of my colleagues and friends from here have went on to become incredible tech leads, directors, and IP lawyers who happened to build an Intel Pentium chip or two along the way. Among the schools in this category, CMU has one of the highest acceptance rates, at around 17% in 2019.
And now, from my own perspective colored by the Institute itself, I would argue that the best university for CS is….
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
1056 professors. 90 Nobel laureates. 59 National Medal of Science winners. 75 MacArthur Fellows. 15 A.M. Turing Award winners.
*The MIT Cheetah, courtesy of IEEE
MIT is one of the hardest schools to attend at in the United States. Most students at MIT study late into the night, and we abide by the philosophy of work hard, play hard.
MIT’s CS program, what we call “Course 6” was and probably still is, among the top 3 most popular and most common majors. Since you’re studying with some of the other brightest minds around the world, the experience quickly humbles you.
There’s a wide range of experience that people come into Course 6 with. When I sat in on some classes, I would have an International Chemistry Olympiad winner to my left, and somebody who had already interned at Amazon as a software engineer before they began their freshman / 1st year.
The most “valuable” class at MIT that changed lives and paradigms was 6.006 — Introduction to Algorithms. From my experience, MIT’s classes slanted far more theoretical than other universities. I think this came from the department’s emphasis that if we could learn how to learn, and if we understood the fundamental principles , we could really solve anything, or build out any application.
In this class, you typically had to understand the underlying theory or proof behind an algorithm, as well as be able to implement it in Python. MIT also had a culture of p-setting in groups. Teamwork was essential, and late nights, glowing screens of LEDs, and fluctuating levels of attention, stress, and flow were tantamount to the experience. DM me if you have additional questions about MIT, I’m happy to share more with you.
The proverbial fire hose, located in Building 32, the MIT Stata Center (MIT Sloan)
Alright, so you might think that MIT is among the best schools, which it is. However, I would also say… to think twice before you come here. While you will be among the brightest minds and learn from the most inspiring and sharpest professors, we don’t have grade inflation here.
You will drink from the fire hose. You will also have to be ready for the largest challenge (technically and mentally). Egos will be crushed and your understanding of what you know and don’t know will be dramatically rewritten. And that’s OK. It is through a constant creation and destruction of the self, that humans acquire their inner power.
As bonus I’d like to emphasize that there are many great schools outside the USA. For instance, I’ve also studied and worked at the University of Waterloo, the University of Oxford, and the Imperial College of London. The students there are just as driven, motivated, and clever as their American counterparts.
I refrain from including an evaluation of them here, just because the coursework, program structure, and timelines are pretty different than what we have on this side of the world. These admissions systems are totally different than what we have here in the US, but there are many excellent options for students willing to live abroad. I’m happy to explain the difference to each of you guys, and feel free to DM me if you want to learn more about some international options outside of Good Old America!
Sean Batir
Machine learning engineer equally excited about understanding minds, both human and AI. Let’s connect!
Best Free Online Computer Science Courses
This is tremendously useful and cost-saving as you don’t need to quit your job, leave your house or country to get a highly recognized professional computer science degree, and all this is possible because of Coursera, an online platform which brings quality education from reputed university for common people over the internet.
Initially, I was a bit skeptical about online degree programs and always wondered, is this really possible? Is it valid and authentic? But, after reading about it on the Internet and Coursera in particular, I am now thinking it’s a great way to increase your educational credentials.
I know many of my colleagues who have started working on the IT field after than Bacher of Engineering (B.E.) degree. Many of them wanted to earn a master’s degree like M.Tech or MBA from a reputed university, but they were always afraid to leave jobs and go for their dream.
In many cases, it wasn’t even practical to leave a job for pursuing a master’s degree as many of them were married and some of them even had kids. Now all of them can look at this option and can fulfill their dream.
Top 5 Computer Science and Engineer Degrees on Coursera
In this article, I am going to share many Ivy league computer science and Engineer degrees offered by the reputed universities of the USA and all over the world like the University of Illinois’s Master of Computer Science degree to become a Software engineer.
These are completely online degree and you can take it from wherever you are and from the comfort of your office and hone. You can also research more on Coursera and the Internet in general.
Here are the most popular Computer Science and Engineer degrees from Coursera:
1. Illinois’s Master of Computer Science degree on Coursera
A couple of days ago I received an email from Coursera about the Online Master of Computer Science (MCS) program from the University of Illinois, one of the best universities in the USA and worldwide.
Their Computer Science program is also one of the top-five Computer Science graduate programs at the forefront of excellence in computing and education.
This email inspired me to learn more about the possibility of earning a computer science degree online and write this article. Since many of my readers were curious about whether an online degree is as useful and a campus degree or not, the answer is Yes, both are actually the same degree.
Here is the link to learn more about this online degree program — Master of Computer Science (MCS) program from Illinois
In this particular program, you can choose to study a variety of areas in CS or specialize in data sciences using our program’s MCS-Data Science track. The most important part is that degree is delivered 100% online, providing the flexibility for you to learn on your own schedule, on any device, from anywhere.
When you finish the program in only 12–36 months, you’ll earn the same degree as MCS students who study on campus. And it’s a great value at a total cost of less than $22K USD.
The cost is seriously very less when you compare with on-campus costs for the same degree and forget about accommodation, travel, and other expenses.
So, what are you waiting for, deepen your knowledge, and boost your career with a degree from a top-5 Computer Science graduate program in the U.S. The degree is now open for registration and they are accepting registration.
2. Master of Computer and Information Technology from the University of Pennsylvania
This is another Ivy league computer science and information technology degree that is open for registration now on Coursera. This degree is offered by the University of Pennsylvania and it brings the long-running, established on-campus MCIT degree online.
What makes this degree unique?
Ivy League Quality
This is a first-of-its-kind program that offers an Ivy League master’s degree in Computer Science designed for non-CS majors.
Built Around Your Schedule
The coursework is 100 percent online. You’ll benefit from the same high-quality instruction as on-campus students and graduate with the same degree. The diploma does not indicate whether the degree was earned online or on-campus.
Accessible Pricing
The cost of the MCIT Online degree is significantly less than on-campus alternatives and most online master’s degrees in Computer Science. Students pay $2,636 per course unit for a total of 10-course units. Tuition and fees are posted as a guide and may be subject to change.
Real-world, project-based learning
Core courses and electives blend computer science theory and applied project-based learning. You’ll have the chance to use real-world tools and environments such as TensorFlow and Amazon Cloud.
Faculty Access
You’ll get access to world-renowned instructors through discussion forums and live office hours.
Try before you apply
Penn Engineering offers an online Computational Thinking for Problem Solving course on Coursera to help you decide whether the program is the right fit before you apply.
Here is the link to join this degree online — Master of Computer and Information Technology from the University of Pennsylvania
3. Online Master of Computer Science Degree from Arizona State University
This is another online degree from another Ivy League university which is offered online. This online Computer science degree from Arizona State University is one of the top 10 degrees for Online Graduate Engineering Programs by U.S. News and World Report.
The Master of Computer Science (MCS) degree program from Arizona State University provides high-quality instruction combined with real-world experience through applied projects. You’ll gain a deep understanding of cutting-edge topics like AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and big data.
This degree is delivered 100% online, providing the flexibility for you to learn on your own schedule. Upon completion, you’ll earn the same degree as students who study on-campus.
Here is the link to join this degree online —Online Master of Computer Science Degree from Arizona State University
4. Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of London
If you are looking for a Bachelor’s online computer science degree then you don’t need to disappoint. You can also earn a Bachelor in Computer Science or BSc or BCS degree online on
Coursera
This Bachelor of Computer Science degree is offered by none other than but University of London. The University of London, established by Royal Charter in 1836, is a globally recognized learning institution. It’s a 3–6 year long degree with 23 modules and 14 to 28 hours per week of learning.
Here is the link to learn more about this degree — Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of London
5. Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
If you are looking for an Electrical Engineering online degree then there is no better than the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering offered by the University of Colorado Boulder.
This online MS-EE degree is intended for anyone looking to grow their careers in the electrical engineering industry or who wants to learn more in the field of electrical engineering. Graduates of the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering program have gone on to become engineers at Intel, Lockheed Martin, Tesla, Google, and more
Here is the link to learn more about this degree — Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
And, if you find Coursera courses useful, which they are because they are created by reputed companies like Google, IBM, Amazon, and best universities around the world, I suggest you join the Coursera Plus, a subscription plan from Coursera
This single subscription gives you unlimited access to their most popular courses, specialization, professional certificate, and guided projects. It cost around $399/year but its complete worth of your money as you get unlimited certificates.
Coursera Plus | Unlimited Access to 3,000+ Online Courses
Invest in your professional goals with Coursera Plus. Get Unlimited access to over 90% of courses, Specializations, and…
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These are the best online Ivy League bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Computer Science you can earn online on
Coursera
These are designed for students without a Computer Science background. They are completely online and duration is 16–60 months but the cost is from $15000 to $25000 which is cheaper than the actual University program.
By the way, not all universities offer their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program online, but the number is slowly growing and I am sure, more universities will join once people start believing that online degrees are also legitimate and there is no compromise on quality and educational material. You can check Coursera’s online degree portal for more online bachelor and master’s degree programs from the world’s top universities.
best computer science universities in the world 2020
Computer science is the study of computers and their uses, and the field comprises a wide range of subjects. They include software engineering and design, artificial intelligence theory, programming languages, information systems and information technology. These are the world’s top universities for computer science.
- Tsinghua University.
- Stanford University.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- Nanyang Technological University.
- Carnegie Mellon University.
- National University of Singapore.
- University of California–Berkeley.
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.
columbia university computer science ranking
In College Factual’s most recent rankings for the best schools for compsci majors, Columbia came in at #14. This puts it in the top 5% of the country in this field of study. It is also ranked #2 in New York.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 2 |
| Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools | 8 |
| Best Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools | 14 |
| Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 16 |
| Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools | 16 |
| Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 20 |
| Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 26 |
| Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 55 |
| Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 75 |
| Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 180 |
| Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 234 |
| Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science | 331 |
Popularity of CompSci at Columbia
During the 2019-2020 academic year, Columbia University in the City of New York handed out 341 bachelor’s degrees in computer science. Due to this, the school was ranked #7 in popularity out of all colleges and universities that offer this degree. This is an increase of 21% over the previous year when 282 degrees were handed out.
In 2020, 379 students received their master’s degree in compsci from Columbia. This makes it the #3 most popular school for compsci master’s degree candidates in the country.
In addition, 19 students received their doctoral degrees in compsci in 2020, making the school the #20 most popular school in the United States for this category of students.
which universities are best for computer science
Computer science degrees vary in their focus and specialisms. Some courses are very theoretical, while others are more focused on programming.
The ranking uses the same methodology as the World University Rankings, but with slightly higher weighting given to the innovation metric and lower weighting for citations. The full methodology can be found here.
Top 5 universities for computer science
1. University of Oxford
Although computer science is a relatively modern discipline, the University of Oxford has one of the oldest departments in the country, formerly known as the Oxford University Computing Laboratory.
Since its beginnings, the department has provided lectures for undergraduates and trained research students at postgraduate level.
In addition to core computer science topics, students can take courses in computational biology, quantum computing, information systems, software verification, software engineering and computational linguistics.
The department offers three undergraduate degrees: single honours computer science, mathematics and computer science, and computer science and philosophy.
Like other students, computer science students – whether undergraduate or postgraduate – belong to one of Oxford’s colleges, where they live, eat, socialise and study.
2. Stanford University
The Stanford University computer science department was established in 1965. The department offers bachelor’s of science, master’s of science and doctor of philosophy degrees.
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The department undertakes research in many areas, including artificial intelligence, robotics, foundations of computer science, scientific computing and programming systems. There is also a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research across chemistry, genetics, linguistics, construction and medicine, among others.
The home of the computer science department is the Gates Computer Science Building, named after Bill Gates, who donated $6 million to the project.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The department of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology confidently declares: “Our students change the world”.
Many of its alumni feature on lists of influential entrepreneurs making an impact at home and abroad.
Students are encouraged to develop start-ups, and research projects have explored problems such as calculating the financial risks of renewable energy and developing faster parallel computing.
Undergraduates are enrolled on a flexible curriculum that allows them to focus on both abstract theory and practical problems in computer science. Students can major in computer science or in both computer science and molecular biology.
Graduates go on to design video games, work on supercomputers, research robotics and often join big companies such as Google and Microsoft.
4. University of Cambridge
The undergraduate computer science course at the University of Cambridge teaches a core selection of modules that provide students with the foundations of the subject in the first year. In the second and third years, students are able to specialise in their own choice of modules. All aspects of modern computer science are covered, along with the underlying theory and foundations in economics, law and business.
Students will also develop practical skills, such as programming in various languages including OCaml, Java, C/C++ and Prolog.
There are more than 1,000 specialist computing and advanced technology companies in the area where students are often able to gain work experience.
5. ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich has a history of developing software and designing computer systems. Eventually, these projects called for a dedicated computer science department, which was created in 1981.
The department covers many areas of computer science, including computational intelligence, networks and distributed systems, algorithms and theory, and information security. Different programming languages are also taught on software engineering courses.
There are close relationships with other departments within the university and with partners in business and industry, such as IBM, Microsoft, Google, SAP and Disney, with which the university collaborates on research projects.
best non ivy league schools for computer science
Click each institution to view its World University Ranking 2022 profile
nYU computer science ranking 2021
NYU has two excellent computer science departments, one in the Tandon School of Engineering and one in the College of Arts and Science (CAS).
Both offer degree programs at the undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. level and have vibrant research programs. Graduates of both programs have excellent job prospects and are well prepared for graduate study. However, there are some distinctions between the programs offered by the two departments. We hope this comparison of the two undergraduate computer science majors will help you decide which is right for you.
Up an impressive 13 spots to rank 20th in this year’s computer science ranking, New York University (NYU) is one of the highest ranked universities in New York City, and receives a very high score for the ‘citations per paper’ indicator, a measure of research impact.
NYU has been associated with 37 Nobel Laureates and seven Turing Award winners, as well as a large number of inventions and discoveries, ranging from defibrillators, pacemakers, television, cordless telephones, contact lenses and many more.
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