5 Top Computer Science Schools – Read This Before Choosing

The field of Computer Science is constantly evolving due to technological advances, changing business needs and customer demands. Around the world, there are top computer science schools that will prepare you to enter the field and pursue a successful career.

Before deciding on where to attend college, you will need to assess factors like school size, location, online versus offline, attendance, acceptance rates, requirements, cost and more. Let’s take a look at some of the top schools in the world for computer science, as well as alternative methods to earning your degree.

What is Computer Science?

Before we dive into the different schools, let’s make sure we have a firm grasp on what computer science is and the type of curriculum you can expect.

Computer science is the study of computers and their systems, including their design and programming to make software run and hardware compatible. Those who major in computer science will take courses like: computer programming, calculus and discrete math, statistics, algorithms, computer organization and more.

The degree requires a command of mathematics and bodes well for those who are logical and have strong analytical and critical thinking skills.

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Top Computer Science Schools Around the World

Regardless of where you are in the world, you may be interested in attending the most prestigious and highly ranked universities to study computer science.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 schools for this degree globally.

1.  University of Oxford – United Kingdom

The University of Oxford has just over 20,000 students in attendance. With roughly 40% of them being international students, the highly reputable institution is home to a diverse student body. The Computer Science bachelor’s degree takes 3 years to complete when enrolled full-time and the Master’s will take 4 years to finish. The institution is massively competitive — candidates who are accepted in the Computer Science Program must have A* or A in math, as well as take a MAT test (entrance exam). In fact, over a 3-year span, the institution only accepted 7% of its applicants.

For those who are EU residents or UK residents, their first undergraduate degree will cost 9,250 pounds. These students can access a loan to fund their studies that must only be paid back later. For international students, no loans from the government are available and the overseas estimated cost of tuition is 34,678 pounds.

2. ETH Zurich – Switzerland

Studying Computer Science at ETH Zurich will place you in a slightly smaller class size than Oxford. With just over 18,000 students and 39% of them being international, the school offers the option of a bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate degree and research opportunities. The institution is one of the leading places for cutting-edge research in technology and has graduated over 20 Nobel Prize Laureates, including Albert Einstein!

Before applying, it’s useful to know that most undergraduate programs are taught in German, whereas graduate degrees are generally taught in English. The various tuition fees and course fees can be found here.

3. Stanford University – United States

Located in the tech hub of Silicon Valley, Stanford has existed since 1885. The university is one of the largest in the country, spanning 8,180 acres and offering 8 different schools on one campus, along with 18 interdisciplinary research institutes. Around the world, the university is ranked as the third best overall and of its 15,878 students, 23% are international students. The on-campus room and board costs roughly over $14,000 and the out-of-state tuition and fees are nearly $48,000 a year for the private university.

The institution has graduated 19 Nobel Laureates, astronauts, a President (Herbert Hoover), 18 Turing Award recipients and more honorary alumni.

4. University of Cambridge – United Kingdom

The University of Cambridge is another world-renowned institution in the United Kingdom. With about 18,750 students, 37% of them being international students, the university offers a pioneering Computer Science program. The state-of-the-art department has cutting edge practical rooms for research and uses the best technology to teach the degree.

The admission requirements are similar to those at Oxford in that you must have obtained an A* or A in math and 40-42 IB points. Upon applying, prospective students will also have to complete admissions assessments which involve Mathematical Thinking and Mathematical Reasoning. The university’s costs are broken down by year here.

5. MIT – United States

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, often called MIT for short, is a leading institution to earn an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science degree. Located in Cambridge, MIT is relatively smaller than all other schools on this list with 11,231 students in attendance, 34% of whom are international students. The out-of-state tuition is roughly $48,452 per year.

MIT’s current research in the field of Computer Science includes: digital learning, Big Data, sustainable energy and more. Thanks to the cutting-edge research and academic quality, MIT’s alumni go on to accomplish major feats. For example, they have launched over 30,000 companies which have created 4.6 million jobs. All the economic activity has generated revenues north of $1.9 trillion, making MIT the world’s 10th largest economy, if it were its own country!

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Alternative Options – Online School

Of course, attending the best universities in the world will provide you with incredible opportunities upon graduation to land jobs at the top companies around the world. However, the highly competitive nature and high costs of these universities means that not everyone can get in. But don’t worry because you can still earn your Computer Science degree at notable and quality online institutions for just a sliver of the price.

With the belief that education is a natural born right, President Shai Reshef founded University of the People in 2009 to offer an accredited, quality and cost-effective solution to students around the world seeking their higher education. As such, UoPeople has a noteworthy Computer Science program that offers an associate’s and bachelor’s level degree in the field.

The major perks of the online school is that it is completely tuition-free, which means that a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science costs just roughly $4,000-worth of course assessment fees. An additional benefit of the school is its flexibility being that it is entirely online so you can study whenever and wherever you choose. Also, the accessibility means that anyone can enroll with proof of a high school diploma and English proficiency to earn their carefully curated degree that prepares students for employment upon graduation.

Wrapping Up

Attending the top tier schools around the world for computer science is not for the faint of heart. The degrees are rigorous and challenging and for that reason, you’ll have to be top of your class to be admitted. However, once you graduate with a degree in computer science from these prestigious institutions, that fact will follow you throughout your career and offer you a leg up against the competition to land top jobs.

On the other hand, such competitive institutions are not made for everyone. As such, University of the People and other online programs offer degrees in computer science that will equally prepare you for a wonderful, rewarding and challenging position in the field.