2023 Best Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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. 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 Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 46 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for computer science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo to be the best value school for computer science students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 178 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $28,105 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,067 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Cal Poly San Luis Obispo does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in Berkeley, California, the large public school handed out 1,411 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley undergraduate students pay an average of $43,980 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $15,205 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that UC Berkeley does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
UC Berkeley also made our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list, coming in at #5.
Out of the 46 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, California State University - Channel Islands landed the # 3 spot on the list. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 73 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CSUCI are $18,697 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,841 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CSUCI does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - Long Beach is a great place for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $18,726 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,689 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at CSULB, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
Out of the 46 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, California State University - Chico landed the # 5 spot on the list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school located in Chico, California that handed out 175 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chico State are $19,744 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,135 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Chico State. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. This large public school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 270 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cal Poly Pomona are $19,319 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,789 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Cal Poly Pomona. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
San Jose State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 230 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $19,732 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since San Jose State does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school located in Seaside, California that handed out 171 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CSUMB are $19,098 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,303 in student loans.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out CSUMB. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
California State University - Sacramento landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. Located in Sacramento, California, the large public school handed out 260 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Sac State are $19,272 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,924 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Sac State does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 364 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUN are $18,923 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,166 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at CSUN. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Read full report on California State University - Northridge
San Diego State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in San Diego, California, the large public school handed out 295 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at SDSU are $20,016 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,150 in loans while pursuing their degree.
SDSU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Fullerton, California, the large public school handed out 308 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State Fullerton are $18,856 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,931 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Cal State Fullerton, 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, 100% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
California State University - East Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 202 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cal State East Bay are $18,875 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $20,301 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Cal State East Bay. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - San Marcos came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 169 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUSM are $19,607 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,457 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that CSUSM does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Read full report on California State University - San Marcos
University of California - San Diego came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 749 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UCSD are $44,454 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $17,172 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UCSD does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
UCSD also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 268 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State LA are $18,665 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,712 in student loans.
Cal State LA does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Read full report on California State University - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Santa Barbara, California, the large public school handed out 171 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
UCSB undergraduate students pay an average of $44,171 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,986 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UCSB does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UCSB also did well on our Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
San Francisco State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 237 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU undergraduate students pay an average of $19,184 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,482 in student loans.
SFSU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Sonoma State University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. SSU is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SSU are $19,868 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,130 in loans while pursuing their degree.
SSU 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 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
California State University - Fresno landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State undergraduate students pay an average of $18,533 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,360 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Fresno State does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of California - Irvine landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,013 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UC Irvine are $43,529 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,722 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UC Irvine 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #22, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 229 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUSB are $19,093 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,358 in student loans.
CSUSB does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
National University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree computer science programs. Located in La Jolla, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 84 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
National University undergraduate students pay an average of $13,320 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $32,281 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that National University does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 39% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CSUDH are $18,940 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,973 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, CSUDH is an excellent choice, since the school is online.CSUDH does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #25, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their bachelor’s degree. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 79 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stan State undergraduate students pay an average of $19,524 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,714 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Stan State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Value Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 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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