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Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools in California

9 Schools Ranked

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. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamp with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Computer Science Degree Search has developed this Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in California to see which doctor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for computer science students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools in California

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
$58,443 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named California Institute of Technology the best school in California for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree.

Full California Institute of Technology Report

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
$55,011 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Stanford University is a great place for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree.

Stanford does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 10% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Stanford University

#3

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
$14,160 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UC Berkeley. In fact, around 90% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of California - Berkeley

#4

University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, California
$13,564 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of California - San Diego is a great place for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree.

UCSD 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 65% took at least some of their classes online.

Full University of California - San Diego Report

#5

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
$13,581 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 9 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the # 5 spot on the list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UCSB. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of California - Santa Barbara

#6

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
$61,396 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Southern California landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree computer science programs.

Online graduate courses are available at USC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 82% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of Southern California

#7

University of California - Irvine

Irvine, California
$13,356 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Irvine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking.

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.

Full University of California - Irvine Report

#8

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
$13,467 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Riverside did quite well on this year’s best schools for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UCR. 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.

Read full report on University of California - Riverside

#9

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
$13,895 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UC Santa Cruz. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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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