College Rankings

Best Computer Science Schools

The top 25 of 340 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Computer Science degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Computer Science worth it?

It is arguably the most lucrative undergraduate degree in existence. For students who can survive the grueling math and logic requirements, a computer science degree reliably unlocks six-figure starting salaries and unparalleled career mobility. The catch isn't the payoff—it's the barrier to entry, as top programs are notoriously hyper-competitive to get into. While elite private universities with direct pipelines to Big Tech and Wall Street dominate the very top of the ranking, the broader value story is written by public research universities situated near major tech hubs, which offer nearly identical career trajectories for a fraction of the tuition.

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#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	Stanford University	CA	91	$138,613	$13,807	+$1.3M
2	Carnegie Mellon University	PA	90	$171,264	$31,944	+$1.6M
3	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	90	$154,492	$20,111	+$1.5M
4	Cornell University	NY	90	$152,656	$28,690	+$1.4M
5	Harvard University	MA	90	$152,251	$19,066	+$1.4M
6	Brown University	RI	90	$151,065	$25,184	+$1.4M
7	University of California-Berkeley	CA	90	$149,866	$13,481†	+$1.4M
8	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	90	$128,887	$14,091†	+$1.2M
9	University of Washington-Bothell Campus	WA	90	$128,887	$12,319†	+$1.2M
10	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	90	$124,530	$14,355†	+$1.2M
11	Columbia University in the City of New York	NY	90	$118,636	$21,590	+$1.1M
12	University of Chicago	IL	90	$117,578	$14,860	+$1.1M
13	University of California-San Diego	CA	90	$112,006	$12,470†	+$1.1M
14	Williams College	MA	90	$110,814	$17,716	+$1.0M
15	University of California-Santa Barbara	CA	90	$107,776	$16,109†	+$1.0M
16	Amherst College	MA	90	$100,596	$23,367	+$912K
17	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	90	$94,786	$14,600†	+$889K
18	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	90	$90,293	$11,655†	+$856K
19	Duke University	NC	89	$133,356	$29,612	+$1.2M
20	Dartmouth College	NH	89	$132,919	$29,519	+$1.2M
21	Harvey Mudd College	CA	89	$132,265	$35,924	+$1.2M
22	Brigham Young University	UT	89	$90,625	$15,564	+$844K
23	University of Utah	UT	89	$90,282	$16,200†	+$838K
24	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	MA	89	$86,167	$17,163†	+$793K
25	William & Mary	VA	89	$84,956	$19,096†	+$773K
26	CUNY City College	NY	89	$83,258	$3,776†	+$817K
27	University of California-Irvine	CA	89	$82,161	$14,251†	+$765K
28	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus	CT	89	$79,605	$10,875†	+$753K
29	Portland State University	OR	89	$78,669	$9,552†	+$748K
30	Utah Valley University	UT	89	$77,946	$6,376†	+$754K
31	Brigham Young University-Idaho	ID	89	$77,316	$8,221	+$740K
32	University of Southern California	CA	88	$137,284	$32,740	+$1.2M
33	University of Pennsylvania	PA	88	$124,678	$28,699	+$1.1M
34	Northwestern University	IL	88	$99,981	$29,167	+$883K
35	Boston University	MA	88	$90,050	$24,402	+$803K
36	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	MA	88	$88,554	$22,383†	+$796K
37	University of Arizona	AZ	88	$86,040	$16,674†	+$794K
38	Illinois Institute of Technology	IL	88	$86,005	$18,425	+$786K
39	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	88	$85,809	$17,303†	+$789K
40	The University of Texas at Arlington	TX	88	$84,759	$13,951†	+$792K
41	George Mason University	VA	88	$84,632	$17,915†	+$775K
42	Grinnell College	IA	88	$84,449	$17,648	+$774K
43	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	MD	88	$83,684	$16,467†	+$771K
44	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	88	$82,861	$16,778†	+$761K
45	Binghamton University	NY	88	$82,329	$21,620†	+$737K
46	California State University-Chico	CA	88	$81,021	$14,480†	+$752K
47	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	88	$80,686	$14,967†	+$747K
48	Emory University	GA	88	$80,623	$22,585	+$716K
49	University of Connecticut-Avery Point	CT	88	$79,605	$13,807†	+$741K
50	University of Connecticut-Stamford	CT	88	$79,605	$16,798†	+$729K
51	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	CT	88	$79,605	$16,403†	+$730K
52	Washington State University	WA	88	$79,519	$14,971†	+$735K
53	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	88	$78,610	$15,300†	+$725K
54	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	88	$78,040	$10,974†	+$737K
55	CUNY Hunter College	NY	88	$76,747	$2,984†	+$756K
56	West Texas A & M University	TX	87	$88,391	$19,487†	+$806K
57	Boise State University	ID	87	$85,596	$21,610†	+$770K
58	Oregon State University	OR	87	$85,376	$19,604†	+$775K
59	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus	OR	87	$85,376	$18,048†	+$782K
60	University of Georgia	GA	87	$79,546	$13,936†	+$740K
61	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	87	$77,909	$16,264†	+$714K
62	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	CO	87	$77,761	$15,788†	+$714K
63	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	87	$76,106	$14,889†	+$702K
64	University of California-Santa Cruz	CA	87	$75,150	$17,890†	+$680K
65	Northern Arizona University	AZ	87	$74,815	$14,158†	+$692K
66	San Diego State University	CA	87	$74,523	$15,364†	+$684K
67	University of Nebraska at Omaha	NE	87	$73,971	$13,441†	+$686K
68	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	87	$73,932	$3,925†	+$724K
69	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	87	$73,932	$5,755†	+$716K
70	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	87	$73,932	$5,993†	+$715K
71	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	87	$73,932	$5,650†	+$717K
72	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	87	$73,932	$5,746†	+$716K
73	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	87	$73,874	$15,327†	+$677K
74	Indiana University-Southeast	IN	87	$72,634	$7,888†	+$695K
75	Weber State University	UT	87	$72,486	$10,258†	+$684K
76	Carleton College	MN	86	$88,132	$25,407	+$780K
77	Colorado School of Mines	CO	86	$86,268	$28,690†	+$748K
78	University of Portland	OR	86	$85,637	$28,210	+$744K
79	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	86	$81,174	$10,846†	+$768K
80	University of Connecticut	CT	86	$79,605	$25,097†	+$696K
81	Iowa State University	IA	86	$78,517	$18,589†	+$711K
82	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown	PA	86	$77,599	$18,202†	+$703K
83	Regis University	CO	86	$75,501	$18,397	+$681K
84	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington	PA	86	$72,884	$18,071†	+$657K
85	University of Illinois Springfield	IL	86	$72,657	$9,833†	+$687K
86	Towson University	MD	86	$71,795	$17,413†	+$648K
87	Texas State University	TX	86	$70,906	$16,805†	+$642K
88	University of Idaho	ID	86	$70,276	$14,831†	+$643K
89	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	86	$70,053	$13,297†	+$647K
90	Michigan Technological University	MI	86	$69,910	$14,182†	+$642K
91	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	NC	86	$67,781	$10,965†	+$634K
92	University of Arkansas Grantham	AR	86	$66,795	$8,370†	+$634K
93	Sonoma State University	CA	86	$66,481	$12,885†	+$613K
94	CUNY Queens College	NY	86	$63,632	$4,195†	+$620K
95	California State University-Northridge	CA	86	$62,821	$7,021†	+$600K
96	Tufts University	MA	85	$105,659	$39,998	+$897K
97	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	NY	85	$104,943	$36,228	+$905K
98	Georgetown University	DC	85	$92,974	$40,815	+$766K
99	Illinois State University	IL	85	$81,363	$19,398†	+$736K
100	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	85	$77,385	$25,346†	+$672K
101	Northern Illinois University	IL	85	$77,257	$13,391†	+$719K
102	Wake Forest University	NC	85	$75,625	$28,719	+$641K
103	West Virginia University	WV	85	$74,159	$15,634†	+$679K
104	Central Michigan University	MI	85	$74,135	$17,597†	+$671K
105	Metropolitan State University	MN	85	$72,865	$16,863†	+$661K
106	University of Missouri-St Louis	MO	85	$72,810	$15,071†	+$668K
107	University of Missouri-Kansas City	MO	85	$69,239	$13,310†	+$639K
108	Kennesaw State University	GA	85	$68,763	$15,048†	+$627K
109	Georgia State University	GA	85	$66,803	$15,931†	+$604K
110	Saint Cloud State University	MN	85	$63,287	$13,529†	+$579K
111	California State University-San Marcos	CA	85	$60,645	$10,229†	+$566K
112	California State University-East Bay	CA	85	$60,371	$9,320†	+$566K
113	California State University-Sacramento	CA	85	$60,028	$9,338†	+$563K
114	California State University-Channel Islands	CA	85	$59,374	$9,849†	+$554K
115	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	IN	84	$100,294	$42,513	+$833K
116	Rochester Institute of Technology	NY	84	$94,611	$34,906	+$806K
117	Seattle University	WA	84	$85,285	$34,662	+$714K
118	St Olaf College	MN	84	$82,278	$23,874	+$727K
119	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	84	$73,795	$15,014†	+$678K
120	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	PA	84	$72,884	$24,558†	+$631K
121	University at Buffalo	NY	84	$72,283	$20,995†	+$639K
122	University of Wyoming	WY	84	$71,664	$13,599†	+$662K
123	California State University-Monterey Bay	CA	84	$71,458	$13,663†	+$660K
124	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	84	$70,193	$18,976†	+$626K
125	Appalachian State University	NC	84	$68,675	$16,836†	+$619K
126	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	84	$67,704	$15,435†	+$615K
127	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	84	$67,181	$11,668†	+$625K
128	Montana State University	MT	84	$66,918	$22,499†	+$579K
129	Radford University	VA	84	$66,857	$14,578†	+$610K
130	University of Northern Iowa	IA	84	$65,960	$15,901†	+$596K
131	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	84	$64,854	$10,359†	+$607K
132	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	CA	84	$60,740	$11,531†	+$561K
133	Kent State University at Stark	OH	84	$60,051	$10,897†	+$557K
134	CUNY Lehman College	NY	84	$59,516	$3,148†	+$583K
135	California State University-Fullerton	CA	84	$57,307	$6,555†	+$547K
136	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	MA	83	$93,888	$43,071	+$767K
137	University of San Francisco	CA	83	$89,915	$41,431	+$733K
138	Lehigh University	PA	83	$88,587	$36,931	+$738K
139	Boston College	MA	83	$86,749	$41,704	+$701K
140	Brandeis University	MA	83	$80,431	$35,736	+$661K
141	Clarkson University	NY	83	$79,744	$30,305	+$676K
142	Harding University	AR	83	$78,041	$22,130	+$692K
143	Georgia College & State University	GA	83	$76,971	$20,686†	+$687K
144	Cedarville University	OH	83	$76,615	$24,468	+$668K
145	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	83	$73,224	$18,743†	+$657K
146	DePauw University	IN	83	$70,026	$22,264	+$611K
147	University of Central Missouri	MO	83	$67,040	$14,462†	+$613K
148	Luther College	IA	83	$63,760	$23,097	+$545K
149	Tennessee Technological University	TN	83	$63,180	$14,246†	+$575K
150	University of Louisiana at Lafayette	LA	83	$62,452	$13,530†	+$570K
151	California State University-Long Beach	CA	83	$60,378	$10,440†	+$562K
152	George Washington University	DC	82	$104,200	$36,586	+$896K
153	Stevens Institute of Technology	NJ	82	$99,007	$41,346	+$825K
154	University of the Pacific	CA	82	$90,476	$25,447	+$803K
155	Franklin University	OH	82	$76,264	$25,243	+$662K
156	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	82	$73,932	$21,637†	+$653K
157	Ithaca College	NY	82	$70,239	$33,926	+$567K
158	University of New Orleans	LA	82	$69,204	$12,384†	+$643K
159	University of North Carolina Wilmington	NC	82	$66,977	$20,109†	+$589K
160	East Carolina University	NC	82	$65,958	$15,739†	+$597K
161	Winona State University	MN	82	$65,817	$17,503†	+$588K
162	Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	82	$64,949	$17,613†	+$579K
163	Northeastern Illinois University	IL	82	$62,831	$14,109†	+$572K
164	Western Michigan University	MI	82	$60,979	$15,273†	+$549K
165	Louisiana State University-Shreveport	LA	82	$60,259	$7,022†	+$575K
166	University of Minnesota-Morris	MN	82	$55,441	$8,837†	+$519K
167	University of Michigan-Flint	MI	82	$53,907	$7,007†	+$511K
168	Indiana University-South Bend	IN	82	$53,743	$8,653†	+$503K
169	California State University-Fresno	CA	82	$53,566	$7,000†	+$508K
170	Wentworth Institute of Technology	MA	81	$85,954	$34,170	+$723K
171	Christopher Newport University	VA	81	$72,128	$23,015†	+$629K
172	Baker College	MI	81	$67,839	$13,157	+$626K
173	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	PA	81	$61,299	$15,699†	+$550K
174	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	ND	81	$60,426	$15,543†	+$542K
175	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	TN	81	$59,567	$14,265†	+$539K
176	Southeastern Louisiana University	LA	81	$57,961	$13,154†	+$527K
177	Middle Tennessee State University	TN	81	$57,653	$13,359†	+$523K
178	San Francisco State University	CA	81	$50,553	$12,278†	+$456K
179	Case Western Reserve University	OH	80	$95,688	$41,190	+$792K
180	National University	CA	80	$87,383	$22,878	+$782K
181	Drexel University	PA	80	$86,930	$38,509	+$715K
182	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	80	$77,599	$30,434†	+$654K
183	Taylor University	IN	80	$77,081	$24,865	+$671K
184	Gonzaga University	WA	80	$76,636	$35,119	+$626K
185	Florida Institute of Technology	FL	80	$75,231	$35,639	+$610K
186	Calvin University	MI	80	$73,145	$22,992	+$639K
187	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	80	$72,884	$32,875†	+$597K
188	Youngstown State University	OH	80	$66,674	$12,767†	+$616K
189	Whitworth University	WA	80	$62,139	$26,534	+$515K
190	Kent State University at Kent	OH	80	$60,051	$20,787†	+$517K
191	University of Memphis	TN	80	$57,233	$12,397†	+$523K
192	North Central College	IL	80	$53,544	$21,044	+$451K
193	Central Washington University	WA	80	$52,362	$18,476†	+$450K
194	Southern Methodist University	TX	79	$93,679	$40,892	+$773K
195	University of St Thomas	MN	79	$73,301	$29,155	+$616K
196	Saint Johns University	MN	79	$69,964	$25,672	+$597K
197	Capital University	OH	79	$62,806	$22,576	+$538K
198	Bridgewater State University	MA	79	$57,007	$16,383†	+$505K
199	University of Southern Indiana	IN	79	$55,597	$12,923†	+$504K
200	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	WI	79	$52,324	$13,369†	+$470K
201	Southern Utah University	UT	79	$49,655	$10,462†	+$455K
202	University of North Carolina Asheville	NC	79	$48,076	$12,250†	+$432K
203	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	79	$45,846	$4,564†	+$440K
204	College of Staten Island CUNY	NY	79	$45,290	$5,579†	+$431K
205	California Institute of Technology	CA	78	$173,344	$16,075	+$1.7M
206	Princeton University	NJ	78	$146,624	$6,128	+$1.4M
207	Bradley University	IL	78	$66,457	$22,719	+$574K
208	University of Vermont	VT	78	$62,974	$19,343†	+$552K
209	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	LA	78	$58,697	$19,151†	+$510K
210	University of South Alabama	AL	78	$55,256	$17,648†	+$482K
211	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	78	$44,530	$3,967†	+$429K
212	Pomona College	CA	77	$143,084	$19,285	+$1.4M
213	Vanderbilt University	TN	77	$122,244	$15,846	+$1.2M
214	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	CA	77	$111,141	$16,665†	+$1.0M
215	Kettering University	MI	77	$83,751	$34,660	+$699K
216	Baylor University	TX	77	$82,714	$41,104	+$663K
217	Webster University	MO	77	$70,400	$27,047	+$596K
218	Marist University	NY	77	$69,737	$41,544	+$531K
219	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	76	$99,756	$15,678†	+$935K
220	Western Governors University	UT	76	$83,860	$12,548	+$788K
221	University of Miami	FL	76	$76,877	$37,244	+$620K
222	Augustana College	IL	76	$74,745	$22,736	+$657K
223	Washington University in St Louis	MO	75	$110,302	$21,786	+$1.0M
224	University of California-Riverside	CA	75	$81,034	$14,304†	+$753K
225	University of Denver	CO	75	$72,250	$36,131	+$578K
226	Purdue University Northwest	IN	75	$68,485	$6,079†	+$661K
227	California Lutheran University	CA	75	$68,398	$30,109	+$564K
228	Fayetteville State University	NC	75	$50,940	$7,892†	+$478K
229	Bellevue College	WA	74	$73,214	$11,430†	+$686K
230	Jackson State University	MS	74	$70,347	$23,836†	+$608K
231	Lawrence Technological University	MI	74	$67,392	$32,918	+$542K
232	University of Puget Sound	WA	74	$66,055	$38,394	+$507K
233	The University of Tennessee-Martin	TN	74	$46,710	$10,701†	+$424K
234	John Carroll University	OH	73	$65,716	$28,746	+$542K
235	Texas A&M University-College Station	TX	72	$86,084	$21,315†	+$776K
236	University of Maine	ME	72	$77,046	$17,510†	+$700K
237	University of Tulsa	OK	72	$73,787	$15,000	+$678K
238	Louisiana Tech University	LA	72	$68,023	$11,864†	+$633K
239	University of the District of Columbia	DC	72	$65,524	$10,648†	+$613K
240	Pace University	NY	72	$60,551	$30,892	+$482K
241	Rhode Island College	RI	72	$60,361	$9,478†	+$566K
242	California State University-Stanislaus	CA	72	$41,631	$6,067†	+$392K
243	University of San Diego	CA	71	$104,948	$30,365	+$928K
244	Longwood University	VA	71	$78,085	$19,066†	+$705K
245	University of Arkansas	AR	71	$75,169	$18,209†	+$679K
246	Cleveland State University	OH	71	$68,280	$14,764†	+$624K
247	University of Southern Maine	ME	71	$67,956	$13,596†	+$625K
248	Wichita State University	KS	71	$64,699	$13,194†	+$594K
249	University of Wisconsin-Parkside	WI	71	$64,354	$11,772†	+$596K
250	Idaho State University	ID	71	$62,829	$12,193†	+$580K
251	Clayton State University	GA	71	$56,328	$8,365†	+$530K
252	University of Hawaii at Manoa	HI	71	$42,874	$15,664†	+$366K
253	University of Rochester	NY	70	$99,878	$29,278	+$882K
254	Seattle Pacific University	WA	70	$82,557	$24,488	+$728K
255	Concordia University-Saint Paul	MN	70	$72,875	$18,462	+$655K
256	Winston-Salem State University	NC	70	$50,927	$13,479†	+$455K
257	La Salle University	PA	69	$70,783	$19,409	+$630K
258	Westfield State University	MA	69	$66,349	$16,721†	+$597K
259	University of Houston-Clear Lake	TX	69	$65,857	$15,563†	+$596K
260	Utah Tech University	UT	69	$65,000	$16,039†	+$586K
261	Purdue University Fort Wayne	IN	69	$61,354	$13,171†	+$561K
262	University of Louisiana at Monroe	LA	69	$60,714	$13,466†	+$553K
263	Tennessee State University	TN	69	$50,628	$15,796†	+$443K
264	Wheaton College	IL	68	$81,470	$26,975	+$707K
265	Willamette University	OR	68	$80,077	$25,121	+$700K
266	Saint Leo University	FL	68	$72,237	$21,293	+$637K
267	York College of Pennsylvania	PA	68	$67,310	$18,556	+$599K
268	University of North Carolina at Pembroke	NC	68	$38,417	$10,260†	+$343K
269	Western New England University	MA	67	$79,990	$27,290	+$691K
270	Saint Edward's University	TX	67	$76,093	$25,578	+$659K
271	Simpson College	IA	67	$70,950	$21,936	+$622K
272	Colgate University	NY	66	$79,929	$28,786	+$684K
273	Elmhurst University	IL	66	$72,910	$24,185	+$632K
274	Wofford College	SC	66	$64,267	$18,732	+$568K
275	Lewis University	IL	66	$60,726	$17,028	+$539K
276	Governors State University	IL	66	$52,115	$12,329†	+$472K
277	Murray State University	KY	66	$36,938	$9,096†	+$333K
278	Tulane University of Louisiana	LA	65	$90,828	$39,949	+$748K
279	Connecticut College	CT	65	$86,403	$36,175	+$719K
280	Middlebury College	VT	65	$80,158	$31,483	+$676K
281	Mount Holyoke College	MA	65	$71,672	$26,441	+$611K
282	Saint Louis University	MO	65	$69,849	$24,398	+$601K
283	Davenport University	MI	65	$60,031	$17,707	+$529K
284	Valparaiso University	IN	65	$59,863	$18,578	+$524K
285	Bridgewater College	VA	65	$58,440	$17,800	+$513K
286	Virginia Military Institute	VA	65	$58,225	$17,113†	+$514K
287	Hofstra University	NY	65	$41,177	$34,176	+$275K
288	Gettysburg College	PA	64	$74,642	$31,490	+$620K
289	University of Dayton	OH	64	$74,052	$29,533	+$622K
290	Saint Norbert College	WI	64	$70,730	$26,172	+$603K
291	Ohio Northern University	OH	64	$69,046	$24,478	+$593K
292	Plymouth State University	NH	64	$59,203	$19,216†	+$515K
293	Xavier University	OH	63	$73,546	$32,997	+$603K
294	Hawaii Pacific University	HI	63	$72,448	$29,657	+$606K
295	Benedictine University	IL	63	$62,235	$22,313	+$533K
296	Oklahoma Christian University	OK	63	$61,272	$21,872	+$525K
297	Frostburg State University	MD	63	$54,349	$16,715†	+$477K
298	California State University-Dominguez Hills	CA	63	$34,482	$8,615†	+$310K
299	College of the Holy Cross	MA	62	$74,842	$38,782	+$593K
300	Smith College	MA	62	$66,981	$27,579	+$559K
301	Augsburg University	MN	62	$63,065	$23,873	+$535K
302	Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies	MO	62	$49,629	$14,601	+$438K
303	Saint Xavier University	IL	62	$45,889	$10,970	+$415K
304	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	61	$71,764	$36,708	+$571K
305	Allegheny College	PA	61	$58,811	$22,940	+$496K
306	Concordia University Ann Arbor	MI	61	$48,962	$32,811	+$358K
307	Merrimack College	MA	60	$70,256	$37,927	+$551K
308	Lewis & Clark College	OR	60	$66,653	$36,013	+$522K
309	Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia	PA	60	$62,647	$29,689	+$508K
310	Aurora University	IL	60	$51,605	$18,838	+$441K
311	Providence College	RI	59	$69,195	$48,523	+$498K
312	Duquesne University	PA	59	$65,098	$37,730	+$500K
313	Loyola University Maryland	MD	59	$61,017	$30,574	+$488K
314	Touro University	NY	59	$61,001	$29,627	+$492K
315	Suffolk University	MA	59	$60,259	$29,618	+$484K
316	Rhodes College	TN	59	$60,225	$28,585	+$488K
317	Concordia University-Wisconsin	WI	59	$48,962	$36,201	+$345K
318	Roosevelt University	IL	59	$41,976	$20,194	+$339K
319	Indiana University-Northwest	IN	59	$36,053	$5,130†	+$340K
320	Chapman University	CA	58	$67,125	$46,555	+$485K
321	Occidental College	CA	58	$63,845	$38,263	+$485K
322	CUNY York College	NY	58	$36,061	$4,456†	+$343K
323	Western Carolina University	NC	58	$28,892	$13,315†	+$236K
324	University of Scranton	PA	56	$55,390	$32,568	+$424K
325	Champlain College	VT	56	$54,036	$35,860	+$397K
326	Widener University	PA	56	$51,536	$25,759	+$412K
327	Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences	MO	56	$49,629	$22,766	+$405K
328	Moravian University	PA	55	$52,133	$30,670	+$399K
329	Creighton University	NE	55	$51,625	$31,568	+$390K
330	Messiah University	PA	55	$49,205	$26,502	+$386K
331	Lake Forest College	IL	54	$48,587	$28,673	+$371K
332	Drew University	NJ	54	$47,689	$24,280	+$380K
333	Southern University and A & M College	LA	54	$45,907	$20,077†	+$379K
334	Biola University	CA	48	$42,882	$31,495	+$303K
335	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla	PR	47	$34,985	$8,742	+$315K
336	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	CA	46	$37,153	$13,171†	+$319K
337	Austin College	TX	38	$35,462	$21,107	+$270K
338	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce	PR	37	$25,245	$9,026	+$216K
339	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon	PR	34	$19,049	$9,284	+$153K
340	University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez	PR	32	$25,039	$17,936†	+$179K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

Stanford takes the #1 spot not just because of its academic rigor, but because of its geography and its venture capital ecosystem. The university is the beating heart of Silicon Valley, where CS undergrads routinely intern at major tech giants, get recruited by elite Y Combinator startups, or secure seed funding for their own ventures before they even hand in their senior projects. Carnegie Mellon (#2) and MIT (#3) follow closely behind, operating as the premier talent pipelines for cutting-edge artificial intelligence research and quantitative finance.

But the most fascinating results are the public universities punching far above their weight class. The University of Washington places both its Seattle (#8) and Bothell (#9) campuses in the top ten because they share a backyard with Amazon and Microsoft, creating a relentless, localized hiring pipeline. Similarly, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (#10) is a legendary recruiting ground for Chicago's proprietary trading firms, where starting compensation packages are astronomical. You also don't need a massive research university to win: Williams (#14) and Amherst (#16) prove that elite liberal arts colleges still place brilliantly into top tech roles, while the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (#24) shows how feeding pragmatic, highly trained coders into Boston's Route 128 tech and defense corridor delivers massive value without the prestige markup.

What is Computer Science?

Computer science is the architecture of the digital world, focusing on the theory, design, and application of software and systems. Graduates spend their days writing code, building algorithms, managing databases, and training the machine learning models that run everything from global financial markets to your smartphone.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to go to a top-ranked school to get a job at a major tech company?

No. Tech hiring is highly skill-based. While schools like Carnegie Mellon or Berkeley get on-campus recruiting from Google and Meta, a student at an unranked state school who excels at technical interviews, builds a strong GitHub portfolio, and lands a good internship can absolutely secure the exact same roles.

Should I do a coding bootcamp instead of a traditional CS degree?

In today's market, the university degree is the safer bet. Bootcamps were highly effective during the tech boom of the last decade, but as entry-level hiring has tightened, employers heavily favor candidates with the deep foundational knowledge of algorithms, data structures, and computer architecture that a bachelor's provides.

What's the difference between Computer Science and Software Engineering?

Computer Science is a broader, more theoretical field that covers how computers work, algorithm design, and computational theory. Software Engineering is strictly focused on the practical application of building, testing, and maintaining software systems. In the job market, however, the two degrees are largely treated interchangeably by recruiters.

Why are liberal arts colleges like Williams and Amherst on this list?

Elite liberal arts colleges produce graduates with exceptional problem-solving and communication skills—traits highly valued in product management and software leadership. Furthermore, their massive endowments mean they often provide incredibly generous financial aid, keeping the net price exceptionally low and driving up the overall return on investment.