2023 Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for computer science students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamps with offerings that you might find attractive.
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 Basic Certificate Schools ranking. This report analyzed 224 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value basic certificate programs for computer science 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. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named North Hennepin Community College the best value school in the United States for computer science students working on their basic certificate. North Hennepin Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota that handed out 128 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
North Hennepin Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,882 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at North Hennepin Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 86% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
North Hennepin Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
Out of the 224 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s value ranking, Chattahoochee Technical College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in Marietta, Georgia, the medium-sized public school handed out 290 basic certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chattahoochee Technical College are $5,602 per year.
Chattahoochee Technical College 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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 65% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Chattahoochee Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Central Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. Located in Grand Island, Nebraska, the medium-sized public school handed out 52 basic certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Central Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,590 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Central Community College. In fact, around 69% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, Central Community College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
Out of the 224 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s value ranking, Metropolitan Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. MCC is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 12 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at MCC are $4,680 a year.
Online courses are available at MCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 68% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MCC also is in the top 20% of our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools ranking.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Lake Area Technical Institute is a great place for computer science students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Watertown, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
LATI undergraduate students pay an average of $6,718 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at LATI. During the 2019-2020 year, about 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, LATI also did well on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Fox Valley Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools ranking. Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, the fairly large public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
FVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,861 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at FVTC, 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 42% took at least some of their classes online.
FVTC also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Madison Area Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools ranking. Madison College is located in Madison, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 basic certificates to qualified students.
Madison College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,769 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Madison College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 77% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Madison College also is in the top 5% of our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools ranking.
Bossier Parish Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools ranking. Bossier Parish Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Bossier City, Louisiana that handed out 75 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Bossier Parish Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,284 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, Bossier Parish Community College is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
North Seattle College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate computer science programs. North Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 basic certificates to qualified students.
North Seattle undergraduate students pay an average of $4,799 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since North Seattle does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 71% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Collin County Community College District came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools ranking. Collin County Community College District is a large public school situated in McKinney, Texas. It awarded 65 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Collin County Community College District are $5,104 per year.
Collin County Community College District does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 95% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Gwinnett Technical College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate computer science programs. GTC is a public institution located in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 334 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GTC are $5,636 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at GTC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
GTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
Chippewa Valley Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. CVTC is a medium-sized public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 61 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CVTC are $6,683 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CVTC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 60% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CVTC also did well on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate computer science programs. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a small public school located in Shell Lake, Wisconsin that handed out 43 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
WITC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,960 in tuition and fees each year.
WITC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 88% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, WITC also did well on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Wake Technical Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. Wake Technical Community College is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 994 basic certificates to qualified students.
Wake Technical Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,912 in tuition and fees each year.
Wake Technical Community College 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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 94% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Wake Technical Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
Augusta Technical College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate computer science programs. Located in Augusta, Georgia, the small public school awarded 144 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
Augusta Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,632 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Augusta Technical College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.
Sinclair Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #16 on the list. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 271 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Sinclair Community College are $8,076 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Sinclair Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 80% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Sinclair Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
With a ranking of #17, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their basic certificate. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the fairly large public school handed out 51 basic certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NWTC are $6,849 per year.
NWTC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 51% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, NWTC is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
El Centro College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. El Centro College is a public institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 264 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
El Centro College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,000 in tuition and fees each year.
El Centro College 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 92% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Waukesha County Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school handed out 3 basic certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WCTC are $6,603 a year.
Online courses are available at WCTC, 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 17% took at least some of their classes online.
WCTC also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #20, Johnson County Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their basic certificate. Overland Park, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 28 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at JCCC are $5,352 a year.
JCCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 84% took at least some of their classes online.
Normandale Community College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate computer science programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Bloomington, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Normandale Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,789 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Normandale Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 92% took at least some of their classes online.
Northeast Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools ranking. Northeast is a medium-sized public school situated in Norfolk, Nebraska. It awarded 44 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeast are $5,010 per year.
Online courses are available at Northeast, 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, 35% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #23, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their basic certificate. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large private for-profit school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 943 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
UOPX - Arizona undergraduate students pay an average of $9,552 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UOPX - Arizona. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, UOPX - Arizona is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list.
Clover Park Technical College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools list. Located in Lakewood, Washington, the small public school awarded 272 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CPTC are $5,740 a year.
Online courses are available at CPTC, 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, 35% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #25, Middlesex Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their basic certificate. Middlesex Community College is a public institution located in Bedford, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Middlesex Community College are $12,120 per year.
Online courses are available at Middlesex Community College, 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.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Middlesex Community College is ranked #2 for overall quality in the United States.
Rest of the Best Value Computer Science Basic Certificate Schools in the United States
Not only did these schools make the list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Schools by Region
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best computer science schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Mid-State Technical College | Wisconsin Rapids, WI |
| 36 | Bellevue College | Bellevue, WA |
| 37 | University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College | North Little Rock, AR |
| 38 | Ivy Tech Community College | Indianapolis, IN |
| 39 | Cuyahoga Community College District | Cleveland, OH |
| 40 | Gateway Technical College | Kenosha, WI |
| 40 | Baltimore City Community College | Baltimore, MD |
| 42 | Lone Star College System | The Woodlands, TX |
| 43 | Western Technical College | La Crosse, WI |
| 44 | Colorado State University - Global Campus | Greenwood Village, CO |
| 45 | Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny, IA |
| 45 | Amarillo College | Amarillo, TX |
More Nationwide Rankings
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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