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2024 Best Computer Software & Applications Schools in California

4 Colleges in California
1,447 Computer Software Degrees Awarded
$44,677 Avg Early-Career Salary
Computer Software & Applications is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #84 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 4 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Computer Software & Applications Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,447 degrees in computer software & applications during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Computer Software & Applications School

Best Computer Software & Applications Schools in California Your choice of computer software & applications school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Computer Software & Applications School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Computer Software & Applications Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Computer Software
Bachelor's Degrees in Computer Software
Master's Degrees in Computer Software
Doctor's Degrees in Computer Software

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Computer Software & Applications Schools in California list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Computer Software & Applications in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the computer software degree levels they offer.

Top California Schools in Computer Software

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Computer Software Degrees Awarded
$72,085 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in computer software & applications needs to take a look at University of Southern California. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 88 computer software & applications students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Those computer software & applications students who get their degree from University of Southern California earn $27,408 more than the standard computer software graduate.

More information about a degree in computer software & applications from University of Southern California

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Computer Software Degrees Awarded
$35,812 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Irvine is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in computer software & applications. UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were roughly 62 computer software & applications students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, computer software degree recipients usually earn around $35,812 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in computer software & applications from University of California - Irvine

3
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
351 Computer Software Degrees Awarded
$41,833 Median Starting Salary

Academy of Art University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in computer software & applications. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 37th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 351 computer software & applications students who graduated with this degree at Academy of Art University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the computer software program report average early career wages of $41,833.

More information about a degree in computer software & applications from Academy of Art University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CA
40 Computer Software Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat University of California - Santa Cruz if you want to pursue a degree in computer software & applications. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public university located in the city of Santa Cruz. This university ranks 19th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 40 computer software & applications students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in computer software & applications from University of California - Santa Cruz

5
Laurus College crest
Laurus College
San Luis Obispo, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
21st Most Popular In CA

Laurus College is a small private for-profit college located in the small city of San Luis Obispo. This college ranks 166th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 3 computer software & applications students who graduated with this degree at Laurus College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in computer software & applications from Laurus College

Best Computer Software & Applications Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Computer Software & Applications Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Washington300307
Oregon26663
Nevada1928
Hawaii16417

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Computer & Information Sciences area of study, Computer Software & Applications has other similar majors worth exploring.

Computer Software Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Web & Multimedia Design422
Computer Graphics400
Modeling, Virtual Environments & Simulation302
Data Modeling/Warehousing & Database Administration218
Other Computer Software & Media Applications105

View All Computer Software Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Computer Software

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Computer Science13,175
Computer Information Systems4,637
Information Technology2,537
Computer Programming1,600
Computer Systems Networking1,143
Information Science474
Data Entry295
Computer Systems Analysis110
Data Processing100
Other Computer & Information Sciences58

View All Computer Software Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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