2023 Best Value Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in California
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which computer science program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Computer Science Degree Search has created the Best Value Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 32 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value master's degree programs for computer science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Berkeley the best value school in California for computer science students working on their master’s degree. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 378 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley graduate students pay an average of $29,262 in tuition and fees each year.
UC Berkeley does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 90% took at least some of their classes online.
UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California rankings.
Out of the 32 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the # 2 spot on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 28 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate students pay an average of $21,133 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is ranked #4 for overall quality in California.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - San Diego is a great place for computer science students working on their master’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 382 master’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UCSD are $28,666 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UCSD. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 65% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
UCSD not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - Channel Islands. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized public school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 13 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUCI graduate students pay an average of $17,755 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CSUCI does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Read full report on California State University - Channel Islands
Out of the 32 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in Long Beach, California, the large public school awarded 83 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
CSULB graduate students pay an average of $17,784 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at CSULB, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, the large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UCSB are $28,683 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UCSB does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UCSB also did well on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on University of California - Santa Barbara
California State University - Chico ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Chico State graduate students pay an average of $18,802 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Chico State. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #8, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. This large public school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 43 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Cal Poly Pomona are $18,377 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Cal Poly Pomona does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Report
San Jose State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in San Jose, California, the large public school awarded 114 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at San Jose State are $18,790 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at San Jose State. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. This large public school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 88 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at SDSU are $19,074 per year.
One thing to take note of is that SDSU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 91% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
California State University - Sacramento ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in Sacramento, California, the large public school handed out 49 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Sac State graduate students pay an average of $18,330 in tuition and fees each year.
Sac State does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 86% took at least some of their classes online.
University of California - Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 187 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine graduate students pay an average of $28,458 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UC Irvine. During the 2019-2020 year, about 95% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - Northridge ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN graduate students pay an average of $17,981 in tuition and fees each year.
CSUN does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 91% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - East Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school located in Hayward, California that handed out 78 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State East Bay graduate students pay an average of $17,933 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Cal State East Bay. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #15, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. Located in San Marcos, California, the fairly large public school handed out 60 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CSUSM are $18,665 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at CSUSM, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA graduate students pay an average of $17,723 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Cal State LA does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
California State University - Fresno ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in Fresno, California, the large public school handed out 27 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Fresno State are $17,591 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at Fresno State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 98% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
California State University - Fullerton landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. Located in Fullerton, California, the large public school handed out 151 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton graduate students pay an average of $17,914 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Cal State Fullerton. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
California Baptist University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 25 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist graduate students pay an average of $14,320 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Cal Baptist does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 45% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
San Francisco State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, the large public school handed out 31 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
SFSU graduate students pay an average of $18,242 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at SFSU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 93% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
University of California - Riverside did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 97 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UCR are $28,569 a year.
One thing to take note of is that UCR does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 84% took at least some of their classes online.
Loyola Marymount University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount graduate students pay an average of $19,922 in tuition and fees each year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Loyola Marymount. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Loyola Marymount also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 99 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UC Santa Cruz are $28,997 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UC Santa Cruz. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 72% took at least some of their classes online.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB graduate students pay an average of $18,151 in tuition and fees each year.
CSUSB does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in California list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 32 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CSUDH are $17,998 a year.
CSUDH does have options available for those who want to take online graduate 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 97% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Best Value Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US 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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