Best Computer Science Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
25
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$1,530,443
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$52,514
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate: 84.8% |
IL | +$3,202,592 | $205,343 | $32,134 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Stanford University
Grad rate: 94.0% |
CA | +$3,059,536 | $203,193 | $82,162 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
University of California-San Diego
Grad rate: 87.7% |
CA | +$2,976,850 | $194,475 | $36,325 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Columbia University in the City of New York
Grad rate: 95.1% |
NY | +$2,321,816 | $166,695 | $86,042 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Cornell University
Grad rate: 95.2% |
NY | +$2,106,668 | $155,653 | $83,196 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Rochester Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 71.5% |
NY | +$2,012,352 | $149,789 | $71,714 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
University of Southern California
Grad rate: 92.2% |
CA | +$1,917,784 | $146,357 | $84,678 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Boston University
Grad rate: 89.5% |
MA | +$1,843,152 | $142,427 | $82,694 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Grad rate: 83.5% |
NY | +$1,557,432 | $127,865 | $79,934 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Nova Southeastern University
Grad rate: 63.4% |
FL | +$1,518,966 | $123,513 | $55,647 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Grad rate: 27.4% |
AZ | +$1,456,320 | $114,816 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate: 67.4% |
AZ | +$1,400,226 | $114,816 | $28,047 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Grad rate: 84.6% |
NC | +$1,374,914 | $113,307 | $25,613 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Grad rate: 92.4% |
GA | +$1,279,366 | $108,748 | $27,797 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
University of Colorado Boulder
Grad rate: 74.9% |
CO | +$1,262,228 | $108,458 | $33,466 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Towson University
Grad rate: 68.7% |
MD | +$1,253,418 | $107,333 | $26,621 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
University of Chicago
Grad rate: 95.2% |
IL | +$1,097,188 | $105,545 | $86,856 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Drexel University
Grad rate: 77.6% |
PA | +$1,083,086 | $103,671 | $75,167 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Illinois Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 73.8% |
IL | +$987,820 | $98,163 | $67,720 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
California State University-Fullerton
Grad rate: 69.3% |
CA | +$923,206 | $89,837 | $16,767 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
University of Illinois Springfield
Grad rate: 57.2% |
IL | +$916,374 | $90,183 | $23,643 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
Grad rate: 18.6% |
CO | +$774,412 | $82,890 | $21,694 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
National University
Grad rate: 44.0% |
CA | +$725,928 | $82,008 | $37,116 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Northern Illinois University
Grad rate: 51.3% |
IL | +$625,172 | $75,980 | $27,214 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
Pace University
Grad rate: 61.4% |
NY | +$584,276 | $78,023 | $68,092 | N/A | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Computer Science Degrees by State
Browse Computer Science programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.