University HQ is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class unbiased rankings. The team at University Headquarters strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlights the best programs for a masters in computer science.
These days, it seems as though computer technology runs our lives. There are few aspects of daily life not affected by tech or that don't include some online interaction that needs computer security, and it is those with proficiency in computer science (CS) who increase technological innovation with artificial intelligence neural networks and machine learning and keep current systems up and running with solid cyber security and secure systems for companies and governments. While good computer science careers are available for bachelor’s degree holders looking to become computer science professionals, computer science graduate degrees open up an even stronger career path in occupations expected to grow exponentially, such as that of an information systems manager, project management and other management positions. Still, prospective students must consider what they want to accomplish with their master's computer science program before becoming computer science majors at this level, whether they plan to do so through online master's degree programs.
An online or traditional master’s in computer science is generally targeted toward prospective students already employed in this field. Though those seeking entrance into the technology industry may still find their applications accepted for graduate courses and graduate degrees if they meet the prerequisites or are able to take some necessary classes to earn those qualifications. In the latter case, you should make sure to contact the schools in which you are interested and ask for a list of all prerequisites so that you can make sure they are met or find out how to meet them. Core courses will not cover foundational coursework, but will, rather, expand on those prerequisites (such as data science, image processing, basic cyber security, etc.) and teach computer science graduate students about project management issues and higher-level coursework such as neural networks (pattern recognition and cognitive processing), machine learning, and more advanced ways to secure systems connected online against intrusion. Master's in computer science programs may also be completed through online degrees and online programs.
25 Best Online Masters in Computer Science Programs
Stanford University
Score: 95.85
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $62,484
- Out-of-State:$62,484
- Net Price: $18,279
- Acceptance Rate: 4%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 95%
- Total Enrollment: 18,283
- Undergrad Students: 8,049
- Graduate Students: 10,234
- Grads Salary: $116,000
- Student-to-faculty: 5:1
Rice University
Score: 86.3
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $58,128
- Out-of-State:$58,128
- Net Price: $19,902
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Total Enrollment: 8,672
- Undergrad Students: 4,494
- Graduate Students: 4,178
- Grads Salary: $92,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Columbia University
Score: 85.7
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $69,045
- Out-of-State:$69,045
- Net Price: $22,058
- Acceptance Rate: 4%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 95%
- Total Enrollment: 34,782
- Undergrad Students: 8,902
- Graduate Students: 25,880
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Johns Hopkins University
Score: 85.5
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,340
- Out-of-State:$63,340
- Net Price: $24,034
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Total Enrollment: 31,275
- Undergrad Students: 6,044
- Graduate Students: 25,231
- Grads Salary: $94,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Georgia Institute of Technology
Score: 85.39
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,764
- Out-of-State:$32,876
- Net Price: $17,402
- Acceptance Rate: 17%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 93%
- Total Enrollment: 45,296
- Undergrad Students: 18,415
- Graduate Students: 26,881
- Grads Salary: $95,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Vanderbilt University
Score: 82.68
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,946
- Out-of-State:$63,946
- Net Price: $25,606
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 93%
- Total Enrollment: 13,710
- Undergrad Students: 7,151
- Graduate Students: 6,559
- Grads Salary: $89,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
Tufts University
Score: 79.84
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $67,844
- Out-of-State:$67,844
- Net Price: $30,479
- Acceptance Rate: 10%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Total Enrollment: 13,431
- Undergrad Students: 6,815
- Graduate Students: 6,616
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
The University of Texas at Austin
Score: 79.05
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,678
- Out-of-State:$42,778
- Net Price: $17,434
- Acceptance Rate: 31%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 52,384
- Undergrad Students: 41,309
- Graduate Students: 11,075
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of Southern California
Score: 78.93
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $68,237
- Out-of-State:$68,237
- Net Price: $36,808
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 48,945
- Undergrad Students: 20,699
- Graduate Students: 28,246
- Grads Salary: $92,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Purdue University
Score: 78.5
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,992
- Out-of-State:$28,794
- Net Price: $12,576
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 51,528
- Undergrad Students: 38,593
- Graduate Students: 12,935
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
New York University
Score: 78.48
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $60,438
- Out-of-State:$60,438
- Net Price: $29,499
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 87%
- Total Enrollment: 59,144
- Undergrad Students: 29,401
- Graduate Students: 29,743
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Score: 78.25
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,895
- Out-of-State:$31,767
- Net Price: $14,852
- Acceptance Rate: 47%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 36,700
- Undergrad Students: 26,254
- Graduate Students: 10,446
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Score: 78.22
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,004
- Out-of-State:$34,501
- Net Price: $14,544
- Acceptance Rate: 45%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 56,916
- Undergrad Students: 35,120
- Graduate Students: 21,796
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 21:1
Stevens Institute of Technology
Score: 76.71
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $60,952
- Out-of-State:$60,952
- Net Price: $41,689
- Acceptance Rate: 46%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 9,314
- Undergrad Students: 4,070
- Graduate Students: 5,244
- Grads Salary: $101,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Northeastern University
Score: 76.39
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,141
- Out-of-State:$63,141
- Net Price: $35,827
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 30,013
- Undergrad Students: 16,302
- Graduate Students: 13,711
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Capitol Technology University
Score: 75.71
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $27,318
- Out-of-State:$27,318
- Net Price: $25,445
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 823
- Undergrad Students: 301
- Graduate Students: 522
- Grads Salary: $114,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Score: 75.04
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $19,022
- Out-of-State:$35,934
- Net Price: $17,762
- Acceptance Rate: 66%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 12,332
- Undergrad Students: 9,019
- Graduate Students: 3,313
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Score: 75.01
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,488
- Out-of-State:$36,402
- Net Price: $16,018
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 54,955
- Undergrad Students: 39,248
- Graduate Students: 15,707
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Illinois Institute of Technology
Score: 72.59
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $51,763
- Out-of-State:$51,763
- Net Price: $28,702
- Acceptance Rate: 61%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
- Total Enrollment: 6,943
- Undergrad Students: 3,125
- Graduate Students: 3,818
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Score: 71.92
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $59,070
- Out-of-State:$59,070
- Net Price: $46,876
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 89%
- Total Enrollment: 7,308
- Undergrad Students: 5,246
- Graduate Students: 2,062
- Grads Salary: $95,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
James Madison University
Score: 71.26
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,576
- Out-of-State:$30,790
- Net Price: $18,274
- Acceptance Rate: 78%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 22,224
- Undergrad Students: 20,346
- Graduate Students: 1,878
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Score: 70.95
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,278
- Out-of-State:$31,678
- Net Price: $14,023
- Acceptance Rate: 81%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 7,080
- Undergrad Students: 5,498
- Graduate Students: 1,582
- Grads Salary: $86,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Auburn University
Score: 70.76
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,536
- Out-of-State:$33,944
- Net Price: $25,271
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 31,764
- Undergrad Students: 25,379
- Graduate Students: 6,385
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
University of Central Florida
Score: 70.76
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,368
- Out-of-State:$22,467
- Net Price: $13,108
- Acceptance Rate: 41%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 68,346
- Undergrad Students: 58,662
- Graduate Students: 9,684
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 29:1
George Mason University
Score: 70.1
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,815
- Out-of-State:$39,397
- Net Price: $18,479
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 39,049
- Undergrad Students: 27,014
- Graduate Students: 12,035
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
