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Best Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

22 Schools Ranked

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. 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. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Computer Science Degree Search has developed this Best Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 22 schools in Illinois to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for computer science students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

$17,823 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best school in Illinois for computer science students working on their master’s degree.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UIUC does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
$56,567 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 22 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 2 spot on the list.

One thing to take note of is that Northwestern does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 2% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Northwestern University

#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
$63,936 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Full University of Chicago Report

#4

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
$18,341 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Online graduate courses are available at DePaul, 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, 96% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#5

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
$19,894 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent master’s degree programs at Loyola University Chicago helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in Illinois.

One thing to take note of is that Loyola Chicago does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 92% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Loyola University Chicago

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
$9,773 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree.

Online graduate courses are available at Illinois 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, 81% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Illinois State University

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
$12,182 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Western Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree.

One thing to take note of is that WIU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 71% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

$17,277 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree computer science programs.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UIC. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Report

#9

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, Illinois
$30,822 Average Tuition & Fees

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Illinois Tech does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 42% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#10

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
$17,400 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Bradley University did quite well on this year’s best schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Bradley. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Bradley University

#11

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
$14,960 Average Tuition & Fees

Lewis University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree computer science programs.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Lewis. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Lewis University Report

#12

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
$20,413 Average Tuition & Fees

Dominican University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Dominican U. In fact, around 89% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#13

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, Illinois
$9,316 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list.

SIUE does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 86% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

#14

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list.

North Central does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 70% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

$16,162 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #15 on this year’s Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at SIUC. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 24% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

#16

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois
$11,111 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree computer science programs.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UIS. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 96% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#17

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
$11,390 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree computer science programs.

NIU 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. In 2019-2020 about 43% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Northern Illinois University

#18

DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago, Illinois
$17,552 Average Tuition & Fees

DeVry University - Illinois landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree computer science programs.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since DeVry University - Illinois does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 97% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full DeVry University - Illinois Report

#19

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
$21,605 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #19, Roosevelt University did quite well on this year’s best schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Roosevelt. In 2019-2020 about 44% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Roosevelt University Report

#20

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
$15,450 Average Tuition & Fees

Saint Xavier University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree computer science programs.

SXU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 63% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Saint Xavier University Report

#21

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
$8,320 Average Tuition & Fees

Governors State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list.

GSU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 35% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Governors State University Report

#22

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, Illinois
$9,428 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list.

Northeastern Illinois University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

Best Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

View Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 22 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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