2023 Best Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
Today's computer science students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Computer Science Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 19 schools in the Plains States Region to see which undergraduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for computer science students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Central Community College the best value school in the Plains States Region for computer science students working on their undergraduate certificate. Central Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Grand Island, Nebraska that handed out 28 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Central Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,590 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,103 in student loans.
Central Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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.
Central Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Metropolitan Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the fairly large public school handed out 4 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MCC are $4,680 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at MCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 68% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
MCC also made our Best Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list, coming in at #5.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Alexandria Technical & Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. ATCC is a small public school situated in Alexandria, Minnesota. It awarded 2 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
ATCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,910 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,612 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at ATCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 48% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
ATCC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Out of the 19 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Johnson County Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. JCCC is a fairly large public school situated in Overland Park, Kansas. It awarded 34 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JCCC are $5,352 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,810 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since JCCC does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 84% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Southeast Technical College is a great place for computer science students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Southeast Tech is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Southeast Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $7,650 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $20,041 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Southeast Tech. In fact, around 45% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Southeast Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Dakota County Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small public school is located in Rosemount, Minnesota, and it awarded 6 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
DCTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,208 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,790 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
DCTC 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 fact, around 80% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Anoka-Ramsey Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate computer science programs. Located in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, the medium-sized public school handed out 6 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $5,515 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus. During the 2019-2020 year, about 48% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, St Cloud Technical and Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their undergraduate certificate. St Cloud Technical and Community College is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
St Cloud Technical and Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,874 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,211 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that St Cloud Technical and Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 75% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Read full report on St Cloud Technical and Community College
Hennepin Technical College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate computer science programs. Located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, the small public school handed out 10 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Hennepin Technical College are $5,741 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,758 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Hennepin Technical College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 64% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #10, Ozarks Technical Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their undergraduate certificate. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 48 students in 2020-2021.
OTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,028 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,017 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
OTC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 43% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Des Moines Area Community College is a large public school located in Ankeny, Iowa that handed out 19 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
DMACC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,440 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $16,511 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at DMACC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 63% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
DMACC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list.
With a ranking of #12, Minneapolis Community and Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their undergraduate certificate. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Minneapolis Community and Technical College are $5,906 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $21,137 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 47% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Kirkwood Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Kirkwood Community College is a public institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Kirkwood Community College are $7,072 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,474 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Kirkwood Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 86% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #14, Saint Louis Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their undergraduate certificate. Saint Louis Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 21 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Saint Louis Community College are $7,155 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,823 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Saint Louis Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 80% took at least some of their classes online.
Western Dakota Technical Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Western Dakota Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $8,332 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,540 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Western Dakota Tech. During the 2019-2020 year, about 43% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
St Charles Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate computer science programs. Located in Cottleville, Missouri, the medium-sized public school handed out 6 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
SCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,900 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $22,653 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at SCC. During the 2019-2020 year, about 47% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #17, Butler Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in El Dorado, Kansas, the medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Butler CC are $5,976 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $10,484 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Butler CC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 35% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 66 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNOMAHA are $21,718 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $24,835 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UNOMAHA. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 86% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the fairly large public school handed out 21 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMSL are $30,570 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $21,862 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UMSL does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 60% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 19 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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