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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

51 Ranked Colleges
10,133 Degrees Awarded
$7,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 237,745 computer and information sciences students received their degree, making the major the 8th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, computer and information sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $48,979 and had an average of $27,144 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 22,403 computer and information sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $54,771 and $25,058 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,133 computer and information sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 51 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in computer and information sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great computer and information sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the computer and information sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Computer & Information Sciences Schools

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 Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 307 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The low student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Computer & Information Sciences at Stanford University

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 73 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $5,456 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Caltech Computer & Information Sciences Report

#3

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pomona has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $6,945 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Computer & Information Sciences at Pomona College

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 1,237 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Computer & Information Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 969 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at University of California - Irvine

#6

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

Harvey Mudd College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harvey Mudd College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvey Mudd College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvey Mudd College is $16,494 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Harvey Mudd College Computer & Information Sciences Report

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 285 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s computer and information sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer & Information Sciences at California State University - Los Angeles

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 264 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Computer & Information Sciences Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 477 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - San Diego Computer & Information Sciences Report

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 209 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Computer & Information Sciences Report

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 126 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,455 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Computer & Information Sciences Report

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees to 145 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Computer & Information Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Fresno landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s computer and information sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at Fresno State

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 220 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees to qualified students.

CSULB also made our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Computer & Information Sciences Report

#15

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 191 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCR Computer & Information Sciences Report

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 262 degrees to qualified bachelors’s computer and information sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer & Information Sciences at CSUN

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Computer & Information Sciences Report

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at CSUB

#19

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 260 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s computer and information sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Computer & Information Sciences Report

California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 239 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Computer & Information Sciences Report

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 810 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

#22

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 275 bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees to qualified students.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at University of Southern California

#18 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Computer & Information Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 177 degrees to qualified bachelors’s computer and information sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $7,688 for California Bachelor’s Degree Computer & Information Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at CSUMB

California State University - San Marcos came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer & Information Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s computer and information sciences degrees to 161 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree computer & information sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer & Information Sciences at California State University - San Marcos

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Notes and References

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%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Almonroth.

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