2023 Best Value Colleges for Data Science (Income $0-$30k)
14
Ranked Colleges
541
Degrees Awarded
$11,100
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Data Science is the 282nd most popular major in the country with 541 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
For this year’s “Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in data science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality data science programs that also have a lower cost than 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 data science program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Data Science 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 Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
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.
Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Data Science (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #1 spot on the list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s data science degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. It costs about $5,972 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full William & Mary Data Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
Texas Tech also took the #1 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,031 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Data Science at Texas Tech
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Vermont. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UVM is a public institution located in Burlington, Vermont. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UVM also made our “Best Data Science Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UVM is $12,022 for data science 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Data Science at UVM
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston - Downtown landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Houston - Downtown is located in Houston, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
UH Downtown also took the #11 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UH Downtown is $10,215 for Data Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read full report on Data Science at University of Houston - Downtown
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 4 ’s data science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our data science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $13,554 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Data Science at Iowa
Colorado State University - Fort Collins came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fort Collins, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s data science degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Colorado State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. It costs about $11,924 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Data Science at Colorado State
Mount Holyoke College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. South Hadley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s data science degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our data science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mt. Holyoke has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,957 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mt. Holyoke.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Data Science at Mt. Holyoke
With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s data science degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our data science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $7,903 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Data Science Report
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s data science students in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $8,258 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Data Science Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $14,079 for Data Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Data Science at BGSU
With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - Superior did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Superior, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s data science degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our data science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Superior has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,360 for Data Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Superior.
Full UW - Superior Data Science Report
Centre College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Danville, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s data science students in 2020-2021.
Centre College of Kentucky also took the #8 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Centre College of Kentucky is $12,302 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read more about Data Science at Centre College of Kentucky
Metropolitan State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Metropolitan State University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
Metro State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Data Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University is $14,794 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Data Science at Metropolitan State University
Eastern Michigan University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Data Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Michigan University is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
Eastern Michigan also took the #14 spot in our “Best Data Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $12,465 for data science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Data Science at Eastern Michigan University
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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
- *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.