2023 Best Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
There are so many computer science programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools and bootcamps that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Computer Science Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 26 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for computer science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best value school in Illinois for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Champaign, Illinois, the large public school handed out 382 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
UIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $37,632 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,891 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UIUC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #2 spot in our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois rankings.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, the fairly large public school awarded 111 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $24,579 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at SIUE, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 98% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Read full report on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Illinois State University is a great place for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. This large public school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 156 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $24,172 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,109 in student loans.
Illinois State does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, the medium-sized public school handed out 39 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WIU are $13,297 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $28,617 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at WIU. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, the small public school handed out 126 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
UIS undergraduate students pay an average of $18,857 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $26,323 in student loans.
Online courses are available at UIS, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 514 students in 2020-2021.
UIC undergraduate students pay an average of $30,370 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,801 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that UIC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIC also is in the top 20% of our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking.
Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, the medium-sized public school handed out 29 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at EIU are $14,551 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $23,733 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at EIU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 60% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 80 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,240 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,761 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at SIUC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 43% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #9, Rasmussen University - Illinois did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Rockford, Illinois, the small private for-profit school handed out 1 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Rasmussen University - Illinois are $13,883 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $37,026 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Rasmussen University - Illinois does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Northern Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 128 students in 2020-2021.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $25,759 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at NIU. In 2019-2020 about 4% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #11, Governors State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in University Park, Illinois, the small public school handed out 82 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
GSU undergraduate students pay an average of $17,620 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $28,123 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that GSU does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 106 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Northeastern Illinois University are $22,155 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $21,044 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Northeastern Illinois University does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
DeVry University - Illinois did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. DeVry University - Illinois is a large private for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 277 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
DeVry University - Illinois undergraduate students pay an average of $15,032 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $44,637 in loans while pursuing their degree.
DeVry University - Illinois does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #14, Northwestern University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 168 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northwestern are $60,768 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,404 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Northwestern also made our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list, coming in at #1.
Lewis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 132 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lewis are $35,472 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,413 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Lewis. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
Lewis did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.
University of Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 129 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago undergraduate students pay an average of $60,963 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,217 in student loans.
UChicago did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Loyola Chicago are $47,808 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $23,570 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Loyola Chicago does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Loyola Chicago did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.
Aurora University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
Aurora undergraduate students pay an average of $26,760 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $25,543 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Aurora does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 96% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #19, Dominican University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Dominican U are $35,420 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $26,422 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Dominican U does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 96% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Bradley University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 54 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bradley are $36,360 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,068 in student loans.
Bradley does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 98% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #21, DePaul University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 326 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at DePaul are $42,012 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,156 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at DePaul. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Augustana College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Augustana are $46,189 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $25,410 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Augustana does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 41% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 157 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $50,375 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,232 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Illinois Tech does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 31% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
North Central College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at North Central are $42,206 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $23,457 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
North Central does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 83% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Roosevelt University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 35 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Roosevelt are $31,493 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $28,098 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Roosevelt. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 71% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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