by our College Data Analytics Team
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Data Science is the 282nd most popular major in the country with 2,413 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major” ranking looked at 87 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in data science. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in data science.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida Polytechnic University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. This small school is located in Lakeland, Florida, and it awarded 8 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of the Pacific. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 31 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fisk University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s data science students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Centre College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. Centre College of Kentucky is located in Danville, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Carroll University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major. John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution located in University Heights, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Saint Peter’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Jersey City, New Jersey, and it awarded 0 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Cabrini University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. Cabrini University is located in Radnor, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #8, William Jewell College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. Liberty, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s data science degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Maryville University of Saint Louis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking. Maryville U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Data Science at Maryville University of Saint Louis
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Data Science at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking, coming in at #11. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s data science students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking, coming in at #11. Mount Holyoke College is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 30 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.
University of Wisconsin - Superior landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Superior is a small school located in Superior, Wisconsin that handed out 4 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking, coming in at #16. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 69 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Juniata College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking, coming in at #17. Juniata College is located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Houston - Downtown came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 19 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 3 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Saint Mary’s College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. This small school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 3 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #21, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. Metropolitan State University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 14 ’s data science degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Terre Haute, Indiana. It awarded 8 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
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 Data Science at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.
With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 11 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, University of Vermont did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Data Science Major list. This fairly large school is located in Burlington, Vermont, and it awarded 18 ’s data science degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies