The Best Computer Science Colleges and How to Get Accepted
/Explore the top-ranked computer science colleges, including average GPAs and strategies to boost your admissions odds
What are the best colleges for computer science?
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Part 1: Introduction
If your child loves technology and has strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, they might be well suited for a career in computer science. And it’s certainly a promising field for them to pursue, since computer science occupations have strong career outlooks and high earning potential. Even more, the computer science landscape is continuously evolving, guaranteeing an exciting and fulfilling career for those who love lifelong learning and facing new challenges.
So, if your child is interested in this rapidly growing field, what are the best computer science colleges for them to attend?
Graduating from one of the top computer science colleges will grant your child significant career advantages: instant name recognition, access to an expansive alumni network with members holding top positions in the industry, and direct pipelines to prestigious tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon.
To ensure your child has the greatest career opportunities available to them, you’ll want to direct them toward the best computer science colleges. Continue reading to discover expert strategies to get into prestigious computer science programs, as well as a detailed list of the 20 best computer science colleges in the United States.
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Part 2: How to get into the best computer science colleges
The best computer science colleges attract the highest-achieving students, so competition to get accepted is fierce. Your child can increase their admissions odds by following these targeted strategies to get into the top computer science programs.
Earn high grades in relevant coursework
When applying to prestigious colleges, having a high grade point average (GPA) is a must. But to have a chance of getting accepted to the best computer science colleges, your child will need something more. They’ll need to prove their ability to be successful in computer science by taking relevant courses in high school.
Most of the top computer science colleges recommend their applicants take advanced high school science and math classes—physics and calculus, for example. If your child’s high school offers courses specifically related to computer science, such as classes in robotics or one of CollegeBoard’s AP Computer Science classes, they should take those as well.
If your child can’t access computer science classes through their high school—or if they breeze through them too quickly—they can explore the courses offered by your local community college. Being successful in college-level computer science coursework will add an extra edge to your child’s college applications.
(Suggested reading: IB vs AP: Which One is Better for College Admissions?)
Engage in computer science-related extracurriculars
Getting into the best colleges for computer science will take more than just outperforming the average GPA. Outside the classroom, your child should seek extracurricular activities to strengthen and showcase their programming skills. If their high school has a computer science or robotics club, your child should join and strive to gain a leadership role. If their high school doesn’t have a club that relates to their interests, your child can start one—a surefire way to impress top computer science colleges.
Your child can also seek out structured training to develop their computer programming skills. They might consider attending a summer program in coding or computer science or competing in a robotics competition. Or maybe they could pursue an internship with a local tech company to gain an inside perspective of what careers in computer science are like.
In addition, your child could choose to show extra initiative by teaching themselves one or more computer programming languages, such as C++, HTML, or Javascript. There are many YouTube channels, books, or online courses they could use to learn how to code. Gaining proficiency in at least one programming language will give your child a leg up on other students applying to the best computer science colleges.
Complete a passion project to demonstrate their expertise
After taking relevant courses and exploring their interests through extracurriculars, hopefully your child’s excitement for computer science will grow. When they’ve developed a specific area of interest, it may be time for them to start a passion project. This project requires long-term dedication and may take months or years to complete. But if your child loves what they’re doing, has the chance to improve their skills, and is able to produce something that demonstrates their competence to top computer science colleges, it will be worth every minute.
A computer science passion project can take many different forms, but here are a few ideas to help you and your child start brainstorming options.
Write a blog or start a YouTube channel about computer programming
Start a website development business to make websites for local companies
Build a robot to complete simple household tasks
Design and market a new app
Develop a simple video game
Create a virtual learning platform
Find a way to make something in life simpler using technology
If your child pours their heart and soul into a compelling passion project, it will advance their career development and boost their admissions odds at the best computer science colleges.
Submit strong letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation are a must for almost any college application nowadays. If your child is planning on applying to a top computer science school, they will want to strengthen their chances with endorsements from teachers or professionals they have worked with.
If they’ve joined a summer bootcamp, it’s worth reaching out to their teacher to see if they would be willing to vouch for them. Likewise, if they have done well in any AP/IB statistics, physics or calculus classes at their high school, a letter of recommendation from a teacher could give them an extra edge.
Perhaps your child has worked with a CS teacher directly at their high school or in a computer club. If they joined a competition under this teacher’s leadership they would also be a good candidate to ask.
Furthermore, communicate to your letter writers that something substantial should be mentioned in the letter. If your teacher, Mr. Smith, simply writes, “Andrew is a bright and promising student,” this doesn’t give admissions committees much to work with to assess your child’s application. Instead, when your child requests a letter of recommendation, mention to the writer that something specific should be included. For instance, if Mr. Smith writes that Andrew’s Javascript skills were an invaluable contribution to a project mapping alligator populations in South Florida, this would be immensely useful to adcoms.
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Part 3: List of the best computer science colleges (2023)
Below, we’ve listed the top 10 computer science colleges, informed by U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 ranking of the best computer science programs for undergraduates. We’ve also provided key details about each school—including average GPAs and SAT and ACT scores of accepted students—to help you determine which to add to your child’s college list.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 1
Location: Cambridge, MA
Private or Public: Private
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 4%
Average GPA: 4.0
Average SAT score: 1520–1580
Average ACT score: 35–36
Annual cost of attendance: $82,730
Student-faculty ratio: 3:1
Median starting salary: $82,700
Degree options: B.S. in Electrical Science and Engineering; B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering; B.S. in Computer Science and Molecular Biology; B.S. in Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science; B.S. in Computation and Cognition; B.S. in Urban Science and Planning with Computer Science
Notable alumni: Drew Houston '05 and Arash Ferdowsi '08 — Founders of Dropbox
(Essential reading: How to Get into MIT)
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 2 (tie)
Location: Pittsburg, PA
Private or Public: Private
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 11%
Average GPA: 3.89
Average SAT score: 1460–1560
Average ACT score: 33–35
Annual cost of attendance: $83,697
Student-faculty ratio: 10:1
Median starting salary: $74,600
Degree options: B.S. in Computer Science; B.S. in Artificial Intelligence; B.S. in Computational Biology; Bachelor of Computer Science and Arts; B.S. in Human-Computer Interaction; B.S. in Music and Technology; Additional Major in Robotics
Notable alumni: Mark Russinovich ‘89 — CTO of Microsoft Azure
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 2 (tie)
Location: Stanford, CA
Private or Public: Private
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 4%
Average GPA: 3.96
Average SAT score: 1500–1580
Average ACT score: 33–35
Annual cost of attendance: $87,833
Student-faculty ratio: 6:1
Median starting salary: $73,900
Degree options: B.S. in Computer Science; B.S. in Mathematical and Computational Science; B.S. in Symbolic Systems
Notable alumni: Reed Hastings ‘88 — Co-founder and CEO of Netflix
(Essential reading: How to Get into Stanford)
University of California–Berkeley
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 2 (tie)
Location: Berkeley, CA
Private or Public: Public
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 16.4%
Average GPA: 3.86
Average SAT score: 1340–1540*
Average ACT score: 30–35*
Annual cost of attendance: $46,168 (in-state); $78,742 (out-of-state)
Student-faculty ratio: 19.4:1
Median starting salary: $66,800
Degree options: B.A. in Computer Science; B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences
Notable alumni: Steve Wozniak ‘87 — Co-founder of Apple
*Note: UC Berkeley no longer accepts standardized test scores.
(Essential reading: How to Get into UC Berkeley)
University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 5
Location: Urbana and Champaign, IL
Private or Public: Public
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 45%
Average GPA: 3.7
Average SAT score: 1340–1530
Average ACT score: 29–34
Annual cost of attendance: $40,474 (in-state); $61,872 (out-of-state)
Student-faculty ratio: 19:1
Median starting salary: $62,200
Degree options: B.S. in Computer Science; B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science; B.S. in Statistics and Computer Science
Notable alumni: Jeremy Stoppelman ‘99 — Co-founder and CEO of Yelp
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 6 (tie)
Location: Ithaca, NY
Private or Public: Private
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 8.7%
Average GPA: Not given
Average SAT score: 1470–1570
Average ACT score: 33–35
Annual cost of attendance: $88,150
Student-faculty ratio: 9:1
Median starting salary: $67,900
Degree options: B.A. or B.S. in Computer Science; B.S. in Information Science, Systems, and Technology; B.A. in Statistical Science
Notable alumni: Lars Backstrom ‘04 — VP of Engineering at Facebook
(Essential reading: How to Get into Cornell)
Georgia Institute of Technology
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 6 (tie)
Location: Atlanta, GA
Private or Public: Public
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 17%
Average GPA: 4.0
Average SAT score: 1370–1530
Average ACT score: 31–35
Annual cost of attendance: $28,584 (in-state); $49,696 (out-of-state)
Student-faculty ratio: 22:1
Average starting salary: $70,700
Degree options: B.S. in Computer Science; B.S. in Computational Media
Notable alumni: Craig Mundie ‘72 — Senior Advisor to the CEO at Microsoft
California Institute of Technology
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 6 (tie)
Location: Pasadena, CA
Private or Public: Private
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 3%
Average GPA: Not given
Average SAT score: 1530–1580
Average ACT score: 35–36
Annual cost of attendance: $86,886
Student-faculty ratio: 3:1
Median starting salary: $82,900
Degree options: B.S. in Computer Science; B.S. in Information and Data Science; B.S. in Applied and Computational Mathematics
Notable alumni: Sabeer Bhatia ‘90 – Co-founder of Hotmail
(Essential reading: How to Get into Caltech)
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 6 (tie)
Location: Princeton, NJ
Private or Public: Private
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 4%
Average GPA: 3.92
Average SAT score: 1500–1580
Average ACT score: 34–35
Annual cost of attendance: $83,140
Student-faculty ratio: 5:1
Median starting salary: $71,300
Degree options: A.B. or B.S.E. in Computer Science
Notable alumni: Jeff Bezos ‘86 — Founder and CEO of Amazon
(Essential reading: How to Get into Princeton)
U.S. News & World Report Rank (Undergraduate Computer Science): 10
Location: Seattle, WA
Private or Public: Public
Undergraduate acceptance rate: 51.8%
Average GPA: 3.8
If a high school applicant puts CS as their intended major, it goes through the direct admission program. All they need to do is apply normally and indicate CS as major. AVG high school GPA for these majors is 3.8.
Average SAT score: 1300–1520
Average ACT score: 29–34
Annual cost of attendance: $34,554 (in-state); $63,906 (out-of-state)
Student-faculty ratio: 21:1
Average starting salary: $59,100
Degree options: B.S. in Computer Science; B.S. in Computer Engineering
Notable alumni: Alex Loddengaard ‘08 — Co-founder of TownSquared
Other top computer science colleges
Aside from the schools listed above, other excellent, highly regarded undergraduate programs in computer science include:
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.