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Most Popular Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools

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2023 Most Popular Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools

205 Schools Ranked

A computer science student has lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Computer Science Degree Search has created the Most Popular Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 205 schools in the United States to see which doctor's degree programs were the most popular for computer science students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.

Learn more about these popular schools below:

#1

Capella University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
93 Total Awards

Our 2023 rankings named Capella University the most popular school in the United States for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 93 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 33% were women.

Since the graduate programs at Capella University are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.

Full Capella University Report

76 Total Awards
$16,764 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent doctor’s degree programs at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular computer science schools in the United States. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 20% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Georgia Tech. During the 2019-2020 year, about 88% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#3

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
74 Total Awards
$47,347 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 205 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Carnegie Mellon University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 74 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 16% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Carnegie Mellon does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 6% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Carnegie Mellon University

70 Total Awards
$14,312 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent doctor’s degree programs at Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular computer science schools in the United States. Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 11% of those degree recipients were women.

Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

67 Total Awards
$17,823 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 67 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 36% were women.

UIUC 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. 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.

Read full report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
64 Total Awards
$58,967 Average Tuition & Fees

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree computer science programs. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

Around 19% of those degree recipients were women.

Since the graduate programs at MIT are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.

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57 Total Awards
$17,754 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree. This large public school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 57 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 30% were women.

UW Seattle does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 7% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report

#8

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
54 Total Awards
$14,160 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Berkeley ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 54 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 19% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UC Berkeley does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 90% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University of California - Berkeley Report

#9

Capitol Technology University

Laurel, Maryland
41 Total Awards
$11,844 Average Tuition & Fees

Capitol Technology University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Capitol Tech is a very small private not-for-profit school situated in Laurel, Maryland. It awarded 41 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 20% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Capitol Tech. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#10

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
38 Total Awards
$20,495 Average Tuition & Fees

Rutgers University - New Brunswick ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 39% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at Rutgers New Brunswick, 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 23% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#11

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
37 Total Awards
$13,838 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #11, Stony Brook University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in Stony Brook, New York, the large public school handed out 37 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 14% were women.

SUNY Stony Brook does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 71% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Stony Brook University Report

#11

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
37 Total Awards
$16,995 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 37 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 43% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UMCP. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 75% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#13

Stanford University

Stanford, California
36 Total Awards
$55,011 Average Tuition & Fees

Stanford University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree computer science programs. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 19% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Stanford. 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 More…

#14

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
35 Total Awards
$22,790 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #14, Nova Southeastern University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it awarded 35 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 20% of those degree recipients were women.

NUS Florida does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 52% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#15

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
33 Total Awards
$16,522 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Tech landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree computer science programs. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 30% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Virginia Tech. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Virginia Tech Report

#16

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
32 Total Awards
$30,006 Average Tuition & Fees

Cornell University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 32 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 31% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Cornell. In fact, around 85% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Cornell University

40 Total Awards

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctor’s degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 13% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Austin. In 2019-2020 about 66% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on The University of Texas at Austin

#18

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
31 Total Awards
$11,329 Average Tuition & Fees

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 31 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 29% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at IU Bloomington. In 2019-2020 about 74% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#18

University of California - Irvine

Irvine, California
32 Total Awards
$13,356 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 34% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you 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.

Read full report on University of California - Irvine

#20

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
30 Total Awards
$8,872 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #20, University of Central Florida did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their doctor’s degree. University of Central Florida is a large public school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 30 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 20% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at UCF, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 79% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of Central Florida Report

#21

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
29 Total Awards
$19,494 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 29 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 34% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UMN Twin Cities. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#21

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
28 Total Awards
$13,467 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Riverside landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree computer science programs. UCR is located in Riverside, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 25% of those degree recipients were women.

UCR does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 84% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#21

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
28 Total Awards
$13,036 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 28 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 11% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at UCLA, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 79% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of California - Los Angeles

#25

New York University

New York, New York
27 Total Awards
$38,206 Average Tuition & Fees

New York University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in New York, New York, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 19% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at NYU. In 2019-2020 about 79% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#28

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#28

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#30

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia
#30

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado
#30

University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, California

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our most popular computer science schools ranking:

Rank School Location
33 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
33 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
35 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
35 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ
37 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
37 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
39 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
39 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
39 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
42 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
42 The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX
42 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY

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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