cheapest computer science degree

In this ranking, we share 50 of the best top-ranked, affordable degrees in Computer Science. A sampling of degrees mentioned are:

Methodology:

Hang with us here, because our methodology for this ranking is quite different from many of our others. Typically, we assign points for different parts of the methodology, and the school with the highest number of points will receive the #1 spot on our ranking. But this time, with the way we structured the methodology, the opposite is true: the school with the lowest number of points ranked in the number one spot.

And here’s why:

We based our on methodology on 3 factors: the school’s Computer Science graduate ranking according to the US News and World Report and the school’s out-of-state graduate tuition.

In the US News and World Report rankings, a lower ranking equals a better program. For example, USC – Berkeley earned the #1 spot in the Computer Science ranking. So, USC – Berkeley received 1 point for that category. On the other hand, the University of Iowa’s Computer Science ranking number was 64. Therefore, UI received 64 points for that category–meaning that the lower score actually equals a higher ranking.

Next, we assigned a point value to the tuition costs. Typically, the lower the tuition, the higher the point value assigned. But because this ranking assigns a higher ranking to a lower number, the cheaper the tuition, the lower the point value assigned.

For the tuition values, we used information from the National Center for Education Statistics. Each school’s point value was based on their out-of-state Graduate tuition:

Under $10,000 – 1 point
Under $20,000 – 2 points
Under $30,000 – 3 points
Under $40,000 – 4 points
Under $50,000 – 5 points

Finally, we added up the 3 scores, and assigned their ranking number accordingly, with the highest point value ranked #50 and the lowest point value ranked #1. In the case of a tie, the school with the lower tuition got the better ranking. For example, the University of Florida and the University of Utah both received 98 points. The University of Utah was ranked higher (#35) because their tuition was cheaper.

Ok, whew! That’s out of the way. Now let’s get to what you came here for: low-cost computer science and engineering degrees. If you’re interested in any of those fields, you are in luck. Not only will you be entering a growing and desirable field, you can expect a large paycheck to match. With continual technological advancement, you will be entering an in-demand field with room to grow and evolve!

cheapest computer science degree

#50 University of California – Riverside

Riverside, CA

#49 University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

#48 University of Illinois – Chicago

Chicago, IL

#47 Colorado State University

Fort Collins, CO

#46 University of Tennessee

Knoxville, TN

#45 University of Texas – Dallas

Richardson, TX

#44 University at Buffalo – SUNY

Buffalo, NY

#43 University of Delaware

Newark, DE

#42 Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

#41 University of Arizona

Tucson, AR

#40 Iowa State University

Ames, IA

#39 Stony Brook University – SUNY

Stony Brook, NY

#38 University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA

#37 Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

#36 University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

#35 University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

#34 Rutgers University – New Brunswick

Piscataway, NJ

#33 Arizona State University

Tempe, AZ

#32 Northeastern University

Boston, MA

#31 University of California – Davis

Davis, CA

#30 University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

#29 New York University

Brooklyn, NY

#28 University of Colorado – Boulder

Boulder, CO

#27 University of Massachusetts

Amherst, MA

#26 Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA

#25 University of California – Irvine

Irvine, CA

#24 University of California–Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

#23 Yale University

New Haven, CT

#22 Ohio State University

Columbus, OH

#21 Texas A & M University

College Station, TX

#20 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN

#19 Rice University

Houston, TX

#18 North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC

#17 Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

#16 University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

#15 University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD

#14 University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI

#13 University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

#12 University of Washington

Seattle, WA

#11 Columbia University