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# Best Computer Science Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated October 1, 2026

Part of [Best Computer Science Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-computer-science-colleges/)

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](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/) leads the list at $268,121, followed by [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/) at $225,141 and [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/majors/) 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

Top 25 of 338 schools in list order

| 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](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/) reports [$268,121 in median earnings](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/) [admits 5% of applicants](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/admissions/) 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](/school/cornell-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $1,776](/school/cornell-university/cost/) 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](/school/princeton-university/majors/)'s borrowers who completed, the median federal debt was $10,320, and the school [ranks 68th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/princeton-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 5 | Pomona College · Claremont, CA | $217,051 | $19,285 | $4,841 | 7.1% |
|  | [Pomona College](/school/pomona-college/majors/) ranks 5th on this list, with [median earnings of $217,051](/school/pomona-college/outcomes/) 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](/school/stanford-university/majors/) shows an [admission rate of 4%](/school/stanford-university/admissions/) 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](/school/brown-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $214,479](/school/brown-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/williams-college/majors/) [ranks 189th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/williams-college/) 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](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) posts [median earnings of $204,379](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/outcomes/) 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](/school/harvard-university/majors/) [admits 4% of applicants](/school/harvard-university/admissions/), 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](/school/dartmouth-college/majors/) reports [median earnings of $201,702](/school/dartmouth-college/outcomes/) 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](/school/california-institute-of-technology/majors/) 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](/school/california-institute-of-technology/outcomes/). |
| 13 | Harvey Mudd College · Claremont, CA | $198,257 | $35,924 | $27,979 | 12.7% |
|  | [Harvey Mudd College](/school/harvey-mudd-college/majors/) [admits 13% of applicants](/school/harvey-mudd-college/admissions/) 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](/school/duke-university/majors/) ranks 14th on this list, with [median earnings of $195,809](/school/duke-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/)'s Computer Science program earned a [median of $192,897](/school/university-of-southern-california/outcomes/) 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](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/) [admits 4% of applicants](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/admissions/) 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](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) reports [median earnings of $181,981](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-chicago/majors/) [ranks 38th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-chicago/) 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](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/majors/) reports [median earnings of $177,066](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/majors/) ranks 20th on this list, with a cohort of 494 graduates in the earnings cohort and [median earnings of $175,616](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/outcomes/) for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 21 | Colgate University · Hamilton, NY | $161,980 | $28,786 | $6,086 | 13.9% |
|  | [Colgate University](/school/colgate-university/majors/) [admits 14% of applicants](/school/colgate-university/admissions/) 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](/school/vanderbilt-university/majors/) [ranks 62nd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/vanderbilt-university/) 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](/school/emory-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $159,541](/school/emory-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/) [ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/) 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](/school/tufts-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $156,343](/school/tufts-university/outcomes/) 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.

Continue by region[Best Computer Science Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-computer-science-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Computer Science Programs in the South](/rankings/best-computer-science-programs-in-the-south/)[Top Computer Science Programs in the West by Earnings](/rankings/best-computer-science-programs-in-the-west/)

## 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](/rankings/best-computer-science-colleges/)
-   Computer Science Colleges for Social Mobility