Universities · Rankings
Best Colleges for Computer Science: Top CS Universities in the US
On CSRankings (US, all areas, 2016-2026) the top computer science universities are Carnegie Mellon, Illinois Urbana-Champaign, UC San Diego, Georgia Tech and MIT.
There is no single official ranking of the best colleges for computer science. This page uses one transparent, open measure, CSRankings, which counts faculty publications at the most selective computer science conferences, and then explains what that does and does not tell you about an undergraduate degree. English test notes for international applicants are at the end.
Best computer science universities by CSRankings (US, 2016-2026)
Top 15 US institutions across all areas of computer science. The first figure is CSRankings' adjusted publication count; the second is the number of faculty counted. Ties share a rank.
| Rank | University | Adjusted publications | Faculty counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University | 21.0 | 184 |
| 2 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 17.1 | 127 |
| 3 | University of California, San Diego | 15.1 | 130 |
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology | 14.2 | 150 |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 11.4 | 104 |
| 6 | University of Washington | 10.8 | 80 |
| 7 | Cornell University | 10.7 | 106 |
| 7 | University of California, Berkeley | 10.7 | 85 |
| 9 | University of Maryland, College Park | 10.4 | 98 |
| 10 | University of Michigan | 10.2 | 101 |
| 11 | Northeastern University | 9.9 | 115 |
| 12 | Stanford University | 9.7 | 61 |
| 13 | Purdue University | 9.0 | 82 |
| 14 | New York University | 8.6 | 96 |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 7.9 | 86 |
Source: CSRankings.org: US, all areas, 2016-2026, read 5 October 2026.
Colleges with good computer science: how to read the list
CSRankings measures research output by faculty, so it favours large departments: Carnegie Mellon and Illinois lead partly because they count 184 and 127 faculty. Smaller departments such as Stanford (61 faculty counted) rank lower on this measure. The table shows both numbers so you can see the effect.
This page does not reproduce any other ranking. If you are choosing for an undergraduate degree, use this table to find strong departments, then compare curriculum, class sizes, co-op or internship access, cost and admission odds on each university's own pages.
Colleges that major in computer science
How you get into a computer science major differs by university. Some admit you directly to a computer science programme, others to a general college and ask you to declare the major later, and some limit entry to the major. Check the department's own admissions page before applying.
Methodology and limits
- Source: CSRankings.org, read 5 October 2026 with the region set to the United States, years 2016-2026 and all areas selected (the site's default). Ranks, adjusted counts and faculty counts are copied from the site; we did not recompute them.
- CSRankings counts publications at selected top conferences by tenure-track faculty. It does not measure teaching quality, undergraduate outcomes, class size, cost or admission difficulty, and it does not rank every college that offers a computer science major.
- Only the top 15 are shown. The site lists many more institutions and updates continuously, so figures change; check csrankings.org for the current table.
- Links to /universities pages are for schools in the table that we cover. Admission rates and English minimums are on those pages with their own sources.
English test requirements for international students
Most US universities require international applicants whose first language is not English to show English proficiency with TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic or Duolingo English Test, with exemptions for some applicants who studied in English. The minimum is set by each university, and often by each college or programme, so check the admissions page of every school you apply to.
ETS changed the TOEFL iBT scoring scale in January 2026, so older published minimums (out of 120) and newer ones (out of 6) can both appear. See our TOEFL score guide and each school's page below for the minimum that applies to you.
Admissions and TOEFL/IELTS pages for universities we cover
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- MIT
- Cornell University
- UC Berkeley
- University of Michigan
- Stanford University
- UCLA
Preparing for the English requirement?
Free TOEFL practice with AI feedbackRelated guides
- Best colleges for data science →
Programmes and research strength in machine learning and databases
- TOEFL score guide →
What the 2026 scale means and how schools set minimums
- Universities accepting TOEFL 2026 →
Which schools accept the new TOEFL
FAQ
What are the best colleges for computer science?
On CSRankings (US, all areas, 2016-2026, read 5 October 2026) the top five are Carnegie Mellon, Illinois Urbana-Champaign, UC San Diego, Georgia Tech and MIT. This measures faculty research output, not undergraduate teaching.
What are the best computer science universities for undergraduates?
No open ranking measures undergraduate computer science quality directly. Use research rankings to find strong departments, then compare curriculum, advising, internships, cost and admission rates on each university's own pages.
Which colleges have good computer science programmes besides the top five?
On the same CSRankings table, the University of Washington, Cornell, UC Berkeley, Maryland, Michigan, Northeastern, Stanford, Purdue, NYU and Wisconsin-Madison fill ranks 6 to 15.
Why is Stanford ranked 12th here?
CSRankings sums faculty publications, and Stanford has 61 faculty counted against 184 at Carnegie Mellon. The measure rewards department size, so it is not a judgement of undergraduate quality.
What English test do international students need for computer science programmes?
Usually TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic or Duolingo English Test, with minimums set by each university and sometimes by the programme. Follow the links above for pages on each school.