Best Computer Science Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Computer Science Colleges in the United States
This page ranks 338 Computer Science programs across the United States by the median earnings of Computer Science graduates four years after completing. Carnegie Mellon University leads the list at $268,121, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology at $225,141 and Cornell University at $223,309.
The gap between the top two is $42,980. Across the list, median earnings range from $268,121 to $36,164, with a median of $97,790.
The list is split almost evenly between public and private institutions, with 174 public and 164 private nonprofit schools. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally. CUNY Hunter College reports the lowest average net price on the page at $2,984.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $268,121 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University reports $268,121 in median earnings for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA | $225,141 | $20,111 | -$2,533* | 4.6% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology admits 5% of applicants and its Computer Science completers who borrowed left with a median of $11,077 in federal loans. | |||||
| 3 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $223,309 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Cornell University posts an average net price of $1,776 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $223,309 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Princeton University · Princeton, NJ | $217,973 | $6,128 | $41 | 4.6% |
| Across all of Princeton University's borrowers who completed, the median federal debt was $10,320, and the school ranks 68th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | Pomona College · Claremont, CA | $217,051 | $19,285 | $4,841 | 7.1% |
| Pomona College ranks 5th on this list, with median earnings of $217,051 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing and a cohort of 50 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $214,907 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| Stanford University shows an admission rate of 4% and median federal debt of $10,399 among its Computer Science completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | Brown University · Providence, RI | $214,479 | $25,184 | -$420* | 5.4% |
| Brown University reports median earnings of $214,479 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $25,184. | |||||
| 8 | Williams College · Williamstown, MA | $209,574 | $17,716 | -$2,610* | 8.3% |
| Williams College ranks 189th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Science completers who borrowed left with a median of $12,208 in federal loans. | |||||
| 9 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $204,379 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| A public university in Berkeley, University of California-Berkeley posts median earnings of $204,379 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $5,311 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | Harvard University · Cambridge, MA | $203,169 | $19,066 | $8,697 | 3.7% |
| Harvard University admits 4% of applicants, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $14,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 11 | Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH | $201,702 | $29,519 | $41 | 5.4% |
| Dartmouth College reports median earnings of $201,702 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $41 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | California Institute of Technology · Pasadena, CA | $200,511 | $16,075 | -$2,133* | 2.6% |
| California Institute of Technology has the lowest admission rate on the page at 3%, and its Computer Science graduates four years after completing report median earnings of $200,511. | |||||
| 13 | Harvey Mudd College · Claremont, CA | $198,257 | $35,924 | $27,979 | 12.7% |
| Harvey Mudd College admits 13% of applicants and reports median earnings of $198,257 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $22,949 among Computer Science completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 14 | Duke University · Durham, NC | $195,809 | $29,612 | $735 | 5.7% |
| Duke University ranks 14th on this list, with median earnings of $195,809 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $735 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 15 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $192,897 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| Graduates of University of Southern California's Computer Science program earned a median of $192,897 four years after completing, and the school ranks 92nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $188,265 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York admits 4% of applicants and reports median earnings of $188,265 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, with 357 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 17 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $181,981 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| A public university in Champaign, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports median earnings of $181,981 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,355. | |||||
| 18 | University of Chicago · Chicago, IL | $178,068 | $14,860 | -$1,264* | 4.5% |
| University of Chicago ranks 38th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Science graduates earned a median of $178,068 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Washington University in St Louis · St. Louis, MO | $177,066 | $21,786 | $1,716 | 12.1% |
| Washington University in St Louis reports median earnings of $177,066 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, and the school carries an average net price of $1,716 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 20 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $175,616 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranks 20th on this list, with a cohort of 494 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $175,616 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Colgate University · Hamilton, NY | $161,980 | $28,786 | $6,086 | 13.9% |
| Colgate University admits 14% of applicants and reports median earnings of $161,980 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $16,000 among Computer Science completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 22 | Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN | $160,021 | $15,846 | $3,414 | 5.9% |
| Vanderbilt University ranks 62nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Science graduates earned a median of $160,021 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Emory University · Atlanta, GA | $159,541 | $22,585 | $7,363 | 10.7% |
| Emory University reports median earnings of $159,541 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $22,585. | |||||
| 24 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $159,487 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Science graduates earned a median of $159,487 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Tufts University · Medford, MA | $156,343 | $39,998 | $11,284 | 11.5% |
| Tufts University reports median earnings of $156,343 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 11%. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Computer Science graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled after completing. For 32 of the 338 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked Carnegie Mellon University and second-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $42,980.
Related rankings
- Best Computer Science Colleges in the United States
- Computer Science Colleges for Social Mobility