Top STEM Schools for CS Degrees

Choosing which colleges to apply to as a high schooler can be overwhelming, as there are nearly 5,300 schools in the U.S. alone. After all, it’s hard to know for certain which school will be the “perfect fit.” In fact, over 30% of college students transfer to a different school before they graduate.

Luckily for you, if you’re thinking of majoring in computer science, we’ve curated a list of the top colleges with the most highly-ranked computer science (CS) programs. 

Why study Computer Science?

Math whiz high school students who are good at problem-solving should think about majoring in computer science. A computer science degree opens doors to many different job opportunities in the tech field, government agencies, universities, and more. The major is ranked as one of the top fields to study in 2024, with a projected growth rate of 32% through 2032. 

Computer science programs also create strong knowledge foundations — other areas in CS technology like AI and data analytics continue to shape the world of business. This field also pays a high salary.

Here are the top 10 colleges to apply to for CS majors:

MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT is a renowned private institution in Boston, MA. Its excellent computer science program features a rigorous curriculum, cutting-edge research opportunities, and distinguished faculty. MIT’s graduates are well-equipped for careers in computer science.

• Acceptance rate: 4%
• Location: Urban
• Enrollment: 4.5k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees: $60,156

Stanford University

Located in sunny California, Stanford’s highly-regarded computer science program offers students unparalleled mentorship and expertise. Its proximity to Silicon Valley enables many students to take advantage of internships at some of the world’s biggest tech companies like Apple, Adobe, Meta, and PayPal and collaborate with industry leaders. The university heavily emphasizes research in technology and computing, including artificial intelligence, computational biology, systems programming, and visual computing.

Stanford also offers pre-collegiate studies with various programs like computer science, creative writing, engineering, math, philosophy, social justice, and more.

• Acceptance rate: 4%
• Location: Suburban
• Enrollment: 8k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees: $62,484

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon’s interdisciplinary approach to education makes it a great school for CS majors. Its program intersects with robotics, machine learning, human-computer interaction, cybersecurity, and more. This approach allows students to gain a broad understanding of how computer science integrates with other fields. The university also offers pre-collegiate programs for high school students. 

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s grad school ties with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley for #1 in Computer Science.   

• Acceptance rate: 11%
• Location: Urban
• Enrollment: 7.5k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees: $63,829

 UC Berkeley - University of California, Berkeley 

UC Berkeley was ranked the top public university in 2024 by U.S. News & World Report for the ninth consecutive year. The university has produced many Nobel laureates, MacArthur fellows, and other distinguished scholars and made significant contributions to the fields of chemistry, computer science, physics, and the social sciences. 

• Acceptance rate: 11%
• Location: Urban
• Enrollment: 32k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees (out of state): $44,464

Cornell University

Nestled in Ithaca, NY, Cornell University has a computer science program known for its research in cancer biology, genomics, and regenerative medicine. With renowned faculty like Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger, Dr. Mason Peck, and Dr. Paul McEuen, ample research prospects, and a supportive community, its academic strength is concentrated in STEM — where it even outranks other Ivy League colleges.

• Acceptance rate: 7%
• Location: Rural
• Enrollment: 15.7k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees: $63,829

U of I - University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign 

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers a competitive, popular computer science program. The school’s program is ranked #5 nationwide for graduate-level computer science, and for the past five years, it’s been ranked #2 in the world. Its research, career opportunities, faculty, and alumni make it a great fit for someone interested in CS. Notable alumni have also founded some of the most successful tech companies like PayPal (Max Levchin), Yelp (Jeremy Stoppleman), and YouTube (Steve Chen and Jawed Karim). 

• Acceptance rate: 45%
• Location: Rural
• Enrollment: 35k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees (out of state): $44,664

CalTech - California Institute of Technology

With one of the best computer science programs in the country, CalTech is one of the most difficult universities for admission. The CS department has strong programs in theoretical fields like complexity, algorithms, machine learning, and AI. The institution heavily emphasizes research and offers a career fair for students seeking internships. 

If you are passionate about CS and ready for a rigorous four years, this university is for you. Consider participating in a summer program at CalTech to get a sneak peek at their majors. 

• Acceptance rate: 3%
• Location: Suburban
• Enrollment: 982
• Tuition & Fees: $63,255

Princeton University

Located just under two hours from New York City, Princeton University’s CS program offers ample career and research opportunities. The university also empowers its students to design their own CS path, which allows them to take non-major-related liberal arts courses.

• Acceptance rate: 6%
• Location: Suburban
• Enrollment: 5k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees: $59,710

Georgia Tech - Georgia Institute of Technology 

Georgia Tech’s CS program excels with its exceptional faculty and research opportunities. It focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship to foster creativity within its students while they collaborate on projects tackling real-world challenges. The university’s track, Threads, enables students to combine regular CS instruction with classes related to areas of application for a more customizable approach to their education. 

• Acceptance rate: 17%
• Location: Urban
• Enrollment: 18k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees (out of state): $32,938

UW Seattle - University of Washington, Seattle 

The CS program at UW Seattle is considered the “cream of the crop” among the nation’s computer science and engineering programs as competition for direct admission to this major is highly competitive. If you’re a direct admit freshman, congratulations! You’ve achieved something very few undergrads do. In fact, current CS students say that applying to UW as a “pre-sciences” student have a very low chance of transferring into the university’s CS program.

If attending UW Seattle is your dream, the university’s website recommends taking calculus and physics (the “preferred high school laboratory course”) to increase your chances of admission as a direct admit freshman. Also, taking prep courses in study skills, test prep, and academic planning (among others)will make you a better candidate. 

• Acceptance rate: 48%
• Location: Urban
• Enrollment: 36k undergrads
• Tuition & Fees: $40,740

To see the whole list of schools with stellar computer science programs, check out these recommendations from US News.