2023 Best Value Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
It's not easy to decide which computer science program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 62 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value master's degree programs for computer science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Computer Science Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Ferris State University to be the best value school for computer science students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . Ferris is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 12 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ferris graduate students pay an average of $8,232 in tuition and fees each year.
Ferris does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 67% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent master’s degree programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value computer science schools in the Great Lakes Region . Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Illinois State are $11,773 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Illinois State does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 81% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Out of the 62 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, the fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SIUE are $9,316 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at SIUE. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 86% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Youngstown State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 9 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Youngstown State University graduate students pay an average of $6,931 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Youngstown State University. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 60% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Out of the 62 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Western Illinois University landed the # 5 spot on the list. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 52 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WIU graduate students pay an average of $12,182 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since WIU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 71% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
DePaul University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 521 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at DePaul are $18,341 per year.
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. In 2019-2020 about 96% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
DePaul excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. This fairly large public school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 6 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,936 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since University of Akron Main Campus does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 80% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school handed out 10 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UW - Stout are $17,213 a year.
UW - Stout 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 85% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, the large public school awarded 910 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UIUC are $30,862 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UIUC. In 2019-2020 about 90% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UIUC is ranked #1 for overall quality in the Great Lakes Region .
With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison graduate students pay an average of $25,501 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UW - Madison. In 2019-2020 about 75% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
UW - Madison not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
With a ranking of #11, Grand Valley State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 24 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at GVSU are $17,904 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since GVSU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 73% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Central Michigan University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 114 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Central Michigan are $15,644 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Central Michigan. In fact, around 61% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Wisconsin came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Concordia University, Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mequon, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Wisconsin graduate students pay an average of $11,760 in tuition and fees each year.
Concordia University, Wisconsin 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. During the 2019-2020 year, about 67% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Lewis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. Lewis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Romeoville, Illinois. It awarded 101 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Lewis are $14,960 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Lewis does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 85% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Marquette University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Marquette is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Marquette are $21,960 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Marquette. In 2019-2020 about 58% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Marquette also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 27 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago graduate students pay an average of $19,894 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at Loyola Chicago, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 92% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #17, Northern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, the fairly large public school handed out 118 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
NIU graduate students pay an average of $11,390 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at NIU. In fact, around 43% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Michigan Technological University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 master’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Michigan Tech are $22,981 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Michigan Tech does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 30% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Michigan Tech also claimed a spot on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Baker College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Owosso, Michigan, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Baker College graduate students pay an average of $12,750 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at Baker College, 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, 87% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, the fairly large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UW - Whitewater are $19,190 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UW - Whitewater does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. 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.
Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the medium-sized public school handed out 29 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
PFW graduate students pay an average of $14,830 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that PFW does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 64% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Bradley University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree computer science programs. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Bradley are $17,400 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Bradley does offer online graduate classes in some areas. 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.
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 134 students in 2020-2021.
Purdue graduate students pay an average of $28,794 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Purdue. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 60% took at least some of their classes online.
Purdue excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
With a ranking of #24, North Central College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 2 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at North Central are $15,822 per year.
One thing to take note of is that North Central does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 70% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 21 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens graduate students pay an average of $17,712 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at OHIO Athens. During the 2019-2020 year, about 70% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
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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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