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Most Popular Computer Science Master's Degree Schools

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2023 Most Popular Computer Science Master's Degree Schools

652 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Computer Science Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Computer Science Master's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 652 schools in the United States to see which ones were the most popular master's degree programs 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:

2,309 Total Awards
$16,764 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus to be the most popular school for computer science students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the large public school handed out 2,309 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 21% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Georgia Tech. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#2

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, Utah
1,991 Total Awards
$7,790 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent master’s degree programs at Western Governors University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular computer science schools in the United States. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 1,991 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

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

Full Western Governors University Report

#3

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, Kentucky
1,678 Total Awards
$8,773 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you attend Campbellsville University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Campbellsville, Kentucky, and it awarded 1,678 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 26% of those degree recipients were women.

Campbellsville University 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. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Campbellsville University

#4

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
1,330 Total Awards
$61,396 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,330 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 32% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at USC. In 2019-2020 about 82% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

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1,270 Total Awards
$9,342 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland Global Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools list. University of Maryland Global Campus is a large public school located in Adelphi, Maryland that handed out 1,270 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 33% of those degree recipients were women.

UMGC does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 91% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#6

New York University

New York, New York
1,161 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 master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. NYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,161 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 42% were women.

One thing to take note of is that NYU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.

Full New York University Report

1,106 Total Awards
$52,924 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 1,106 students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 47% were women.

One thing to take note of is that Columbia does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.

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#8

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1,082 Total Awards
$47,347 Average Tuition & Fees

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Carnegie Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,082 master’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 40% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Carnegie Mellon. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 6% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Report

910 Total Awards
$17,823 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree computer science programs. Located in Champaign, Illinois, the large public school handed out 910 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 41% were women.

UIUC does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. 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

#10

University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, Kentucky
904 Total Awards
$4,582 Average Tuition & Fees

University of the Cumberlands landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree computer science programs. Williamsburg, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 904 students in 2020-2021.

Around 27% of those degree recipients were women.

Cumberlands 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 99% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#11

The University of Texas at Dallas

Richardson, Texas
849 Total Awards

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools list. UT Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 849 master’s degrees to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 34% were women.

Online graduate courses are available at UT Dallas, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 83% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on The University of Texas at Dallas

795 Total Awards
$23,510 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools list. Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 795 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network. In fact, around 66% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

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709 Total Awards
$17,754 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 709 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 51% of those degree recipients were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UW Seattle. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 7% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

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#14

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
647 Total Awards
$42,954 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #14, Syracuse University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 647 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 29% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Syracuse. In 2019-2020 about 31% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Syracuse University Report

#15

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
620 Total Awards
$59,418 Average Tuition & Fees

Boston University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree computer science programs. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 620 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Around 27% of those degree recipients were women.

Boston U 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 23% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Boston University

#16

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
516 Total Awards
$12,737 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. This large public school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 516 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UF does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#17

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
477 Total Awards
$32,904 Average Tuition & Fees

George Washington University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 477 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

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

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at GWU. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 37% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on George Washington University

#18

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
486 Total Awards
$42,932 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 486 students in 2020-2021.

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

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UPenn. In fact, around 74% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

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505 Total Awards
$12,608 Average Tuition & Fees

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools ranking. This large public school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 505 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 28% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at ASU - Tempe. In fact, around 42% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#20

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
463 Total Awards
$61,202 Average Tuition & Fees

Johns Hopkins University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 463 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 29% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that Johns Hopkins does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 85% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Johns Hopkins University Report

460 Total Awards
$10,853 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree computer science programs. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 460 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 32% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UT Arlington. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#22

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri
434 Total Awards
$9,156 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #22, University of Central Missouri did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. This fairly large public school is located in Warrensburg, Missouri, and it awarded 434 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 49% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UCM does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 46% took at least some of their classes online.

Full University of Central Missouri Report

#23

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, New Jersey
432 Total Awards
$39,556 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #23, Stevens Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their master’s degree. Stevens is located in Hoboken, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 432 master’s degrees to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 27% were women.

Online graduate courses are available at Stevens, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 54% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#24

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
445 Total Awards
$26,095 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeastern University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree computer science programs. Northeastern is located in Boston, Massachusetts and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 445 master’s degrees to qualified students.

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

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Northeastern. In fact, around 29% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#25

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
424 Total Awards
$11,703 Average Tuition & Fees

North Carolina State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. This large public school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 424 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

NC State 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 fact, around 78% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona
#27

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#28

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#29

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#30

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, New Jersey
#31

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#32

University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, California
#33

New England College

Henniker, New Hampshire
#34

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, New Hampshire
#35

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York
#36

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#38

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, Illinois
#39

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#40

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
#41

Pace University - New York

New York, New York
#43

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#44

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York
#45

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#45

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#47

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#47

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#50

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:

Rank School Location
51 Fordham University Bronx, NY
52 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
53 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
54 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
55 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
56 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
57 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
58 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
59 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
60 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
61 Wilmington University New Castle, DE
61 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
63 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
63 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
65 Purdue University Global Indianapolis, IN
66 University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA
66 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
68 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
68 Bellevue University Bellevue, NE
70 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
71 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
72 University of Denver Denver, CO
73 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
74 Baruch College New York, NY
75 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
76 Georgetown University Washington, DC
76 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
78 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
79 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
80 Iowa State University Ames, IA
81 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
82 Regis University Denver, CO
83 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
84 University of North Texas Denton, TX
84 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
86 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
86 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
88 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO
89 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
89 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
91 Florida International University Miami, FL
92 New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, NY
92 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
92 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
95 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
96 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
97 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
98 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
98 Rice University Houston, TX

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank School Location
100 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
101 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
102 Towson University Towson, MD
103 Capella University Minneapolis, MN
104 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
105 National University La Jolla, CA
106 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
106 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
108 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
109 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
109 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL
109 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
112 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA
112 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
112 University at Albany Albany, NY
115 Dakota State University Madison, SD
115 Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA
117 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
118 University of Georgia Athens, GA
119 SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica, NY
119 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
121 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
122 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
123 American InterContinental University - Online Schaumburg, IL
123 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
123 University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX
126 Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Harrisburg, PA
126 Clemson University Clemson, SC
126 University of Houston Houston, TX
126 Texas A&M University - Kingsville Kingsville, TX
130 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
130 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
130 Brown University Providence, RI

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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