2025 Best Computer Science Schools in California
39
Colleges in California
13,175
CompSci Degrees Awarded
$76,986
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in
computer science, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #12 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual looked at 39 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Computer Science Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,175 degrees in computer science annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Computer Science School
The compsci program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Computer Science rankings. We derive our Best Overall Computer Science School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Computer Science Rankings by Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Computer Science Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Computer Science 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 compsci degree levels they offer.
10 Top California Schools in CompSci
It is hard to beat University of California - Berkeley if you wish to pursue a degree in computer science. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were approximately 903 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer science major at University of California - Berkeley earn $72,880 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in computer science from University of California - Berkeley
It's difficult to beat Stanford University if you wish to pursue a degree in computer science. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were roughly 656 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those computer science students who get their degree from Stanford University earn $84,702 more than the standard compsci student.
More information about a degree in computer science from Stanford University
Associates
Degree Type
AS in Computer Science
Program Name
Learn the applied programming skills needed to fill in-demand tech roles when you earn your online AS in Computer Science at Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in AS in Computer Science from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
University of Southern California is a great choice for students interested in a degree in computer science. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 1015 computer science students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer science degree program at University of Southern California earn $59,189 above the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in computer science from University of Southern California
It's difficult to beat University of California - San Diego if you wish to pursue a degree in computer science. UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were about 819 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Those computer science students who get their degree from University of California - San Diego make $36,839 more than the standard compsci grad.
More information about a degree in computer science from University of California - San Diego
UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were approximately 884 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Those computer science students who get their degree from University of California - Irvine earn $5,408 more than the typical compsci student.
More information about a degree in computer science from University of California - Irvine
Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #165 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.
There were roughly 200 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the computer science degree program at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo get $34,155 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in computer science from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Harvey Mudd College is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Claremont. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harvey Mudd College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 49 computer science students who graduated with this degree at Harvey Mudd College in the most recent year we have data available. Computer Science degree recipients from Harvey Mudd College get an earnings boost of around $55,279 over the average earnings of computer science graduates.
More information about a degree in computer science from Harvey Mudd College
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Computer Science
Program Name
Learn the front-end design and back-end development skills employers look for in full stack software developers with this online bachelor's degree in computer science from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BS in Computer Science from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 220 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the computer science program at University of California - Santa Barbara earn $30,790 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in computer science from University of California - Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.
There were approximately 657 computer science students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the compsci program earn around $75,150 for their early career.
More information about a degree in computer science from University of California - Santa Cruz
USD is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. This university ranks 35th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 29 computer science students who graduated with this degree at USD in the most recent year we have data available. Those computer science students who get their degree from University of San Diego earn $27,962 more than the standard compsci graduate.
More information about a degree in computer science from University of San Diego
