Find Tech Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value Computer Science Schools in California

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

41 Colleges
$8,813 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$72,080 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Computer Science School for You

Computer Science is the most popular major in California with 13,148 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which computer science program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Value Computer Science Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Computer Science Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 41 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value programs for compsci students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Computer Science Colleges.

Top 10 Best Computer Science Schools

$14,226 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best value school for computer science students who want to pursue a degree in California. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

UC Berkeley undergraduate students pay an average of $14,226 in in-state tuition and fees each year. CompSci majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $14,203 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $386.

UC Berkeley also made our Best Computer Science Schools in California list, coming in at #3.

Full Computer Science at University of California - Berkeley Report

$10,195 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in California list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. CompSci majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $464.

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 #5 for overall quality for compsci in California.

Read More…

$6,817 Average Tuition & Fees

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 #3 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in California list. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Camarillo.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUCI are $6,817 a year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at CSUCI take out is $24,685.

Full Computer Science at California State University - Channel Islands Report

$6,846 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at California State University - Long Beach helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in California. CSULB is a very large public school located in the large city of Long Beach.

CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from CSULB carry an average student debtload of $16,760.

Read More…

$7,439 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in California. Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly Pomona are $7,439 a year. CompSci majors at Cal Poly Pomona take out an average of $18,303 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

$7,218 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the midsize suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUMB are $7,218 a year. While working on their degree, compsci majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $16,119 in student debt.

Read More…

$7,864 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Chico did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #7 on the list. Chico State is a large public school located in the city of Chico.

Chico State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,864 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Chico State take out is $18,503.

Full Computer Science at California State University - Chico Report

$7,043 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Northridge did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public college with a very large student population.

CSUN undergraduate students pay an average of $7,043 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, compsci graduates from CSUN take out $15,919 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

$7,852 Average Tuition & Fees

San Jose State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California ranking. San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Jose.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $7,852 per year.

Read More…

$7,392 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Sacramento came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sac State are $7,392 per year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Sac State take out is $17,744.

Read More…

Best Value Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Computer Science Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 1,551
Oregon 1,282
Nevada 152
Hawaii 152
Alaska 31

Computer Science is one of 10 different types of computer science programs to choose from.

CompSci Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Computer Science 59,565

Majors Similar to CompSci

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer Information Systems 88,434
Information Technology 40,555
Information Science 18,325
Computer Systems Networking 14,700
Computer Software & Applications 14,336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Negative Space.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Computer Science Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited computer and technology colleges across the U.S.