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Best Value Computer Science Schools in North Carolina

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2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in North Carolina

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

17 Colleges
$14,344 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$64,344 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Computer Science School for You

Computer Science is the most popular major in North Carolina with 2,948 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

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. 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 that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Computer Science Degree Search has created its Best Value Computer Science Schools in North Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 17 schools in North Carolina 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.

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.

2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for compsci majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Computer Science Schools

#1

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, NC
$3,326 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Elizabeth City State University the best value school in North Carolina for computer science students. ECSU is a small public school located in the town of Elizabeth City.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ECSU are $3,326 per year.

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$4,367 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Western Carolina University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in North Carolina. WCU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Cullowhee.

WCU undergraduate students pay an average of $4,367 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at WCU take out is $27,911.

Full Computer Science at Western Carolina University Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.

UNC Chapel Hill undergraduate students pay an average of $9,028 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, compsci graduates from UNC Chapel Hill take out $15,063 in student loans while working on their degree.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our Best Computer Science Schools in North Carolina list, coming in at #3.

Full Computer Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report

The excellent programs at University of North Carolina at Pembroke helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in North Carolina. Located in the town of Pembroke, UNC Pembroke is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Pembroke are $3,495 per year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at UNC Pembroke take out is $21,750.

Full Computer Science at University of North Carolina at Pembroke Report

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Appalachian State University is a great value for computer science students. Located in the distant town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Appalachian State are $7,410 per year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Appalachian State take out is $21,427. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $205, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Computer Science at Appalachian State University

With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. UNC Charlotte is a fairly large public school located in the city of Charlotte.

UNC Charlotte undergraduate students pay an average of $7,188 in in-state tuition and fees each year. CompSci majors at UNC Charlotte take out an average of $24,923 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $194, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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With a ranking of #7, North Carolina State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. NC State is a very large public school located in the large city of Raleigh.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NC State are $9,131 a year. While working on their degree, compsci majors at NC State accumulate an average of around $22,375 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $290.

NC State also made our Best Computer Science Schools in North Carolina list, coming in at #5.

Read full report on Computer Science at North Carolina State University

#8

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, NC

Fayetteville State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #8 on the list. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Fayetteville.

Fayetteville State University undergraduate students pay an average of $5,379 in in-state tuition and fees each year. CompSci majors at Fayetteville State University take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Computer Science at Fayetteville State University Report

#9

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

East Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ECU are $7,297 per year. While working on their degree, compsci majors at ECU accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Computer Science at East Carolina University

With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. Located in the medium-sized city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public school with a fairly large student population.

UNCW undergraduate students pay an average of $7,238 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, compsci graduates from UNCW take out $24,846 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Best Value Computer Science Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
West Virginia 103
Louisiana 675
Georgia 1,408
Tennessee 820
Mississippi 93
Virginia 693
Arkansas 168
Alabama 203
Florida 532
South Carolina 95
Kentucky 103

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

CompSci Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Computer Science 59,565

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 17 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.

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