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2024 Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools

College Factual reviewed 95 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for doctor's degree seekers in the field of computer science. Combined, these schools handed out 1,252 doctor's degrees in computer science to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Computer Science School for Your Doctor's Degree

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on computer science students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other computer science students want to attend this school to pursue a doctor's degree.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Student Debt - How easy is it for computer science to pay back their student loans after receiving their doctor's degree.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized computer science related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for computer science students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings , to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Computer Science in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in computer science. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

14 Top Schools for a Doctorate in CompSci

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in computer science has to take a look at Stanford University. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Stanford University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a good choice for students interested in a doctor's degree in computer science. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Harvard University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in computer science. Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Harvard University

University of California - Berkeley is a great decision for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in computer science. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in computer science from University of California - Berkeley

Carnegie Mellon is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Pittsburgh. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Cornell University

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Brown University

Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Duke University

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. More information about a doctorate in computer science from University of Chicago

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. More information about a doctorate in computer science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in computer science from University of Southern California

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Dartmouth College

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Columbia University in the City of New York

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in computer science from Vanderbilt University

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools award.

Computer Science by Region

View the Best Computer Science Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best associate degrees in computer science, best master's degrees in computer science, best value in computer science, best for non-traditional students in computer science, best online in computer science, most popular online in computer science, best bachelor's degrees in computer science, best overall in computer science, highest paid grads in computer science, best for veterans in computer science, most popular in computer science, most focused in computer science.

View All Rankings >

Computer Science Related Rankings by Major

One of 10 majors within the Computer & Information Sciences area of study, Computer Science has other similar majors worth exploring.

CompSci Concentrations

Most popular related majors, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to Negative Space . More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

Compare your school options.

Email forwarding for @cs.stanford.edu is changing. Updates and details here . Looking for your W-2 form?  Read Here . CS Commencement Ceremony June 16, 2024.  Learn More .

PhD Admissions

Main navigation.

The Computer Science Department PhD program is a top-ranked research-oriented program, typically completed in 5-6 years. There are very few course requirements and the emphasis is on preparation for a career in Computer Science research. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for admission in a Stanford graduate program, applicants must meet:

• Applicants from institutions outside of the United States must hold the equivalent of a United States Bachelor's degree from a college or University of recognized good standing. See detailed information by region on  Stanford Graduate Admissions website. 
• Area of undergraduate study . While we do not require a specific undergraduate coursework, it is important that applicants have strong quantitative and analytical skills; a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science is not required.

Any questions about the admissions eligibility should be directed to  [email protected] .

Application Checklist

An completed online application must be submitted by the CS Department application deadline and can be found  here .

Application Deadlines

The online application can be found here  and we will only one admissions cycle for the PhD program per respective academic term.

Doctor of Computer Science Programs in America

1-25 of 111 results

MIT School of Engineering

Cambridge, MA •

Massachusetts Institute of Technology •

Graduate School

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,

Graduate School ,

CAMBRIDGE, MA ,

Stanford School of Engineering

Stanford, CA •

Stanford University •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   3 reviews

Current Master's student: The best part about coming to Stanford are the people and the ability to find a group of friends who are interested in the same things that you may be very interested in . Coming from India, there is a large Indian community here such that I have never felt homesick. The campus does get a bit dead during the holidays but it is to be expected as people who do live in the USA, go back for vacations. Overall the professors are great and are leafing professionals in their respective fields doing some of the most fascinating research in the world. I would highly anyone to come here to experience this type o f workhand play hard culture that is fostered into this place. ... Read 3 reviews

Stanford University ,

STANFORD, CA ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says The best part about coming to Stanford are the people and the ability to find a group of friends who are interested in the same things that you may be very interested in . Coming from India, there... Overall the professors are great and are leafing professionals in their respective fields doing some of the most fascinating research in the world. I would highly anyone to come here to experience... .

Read 3 reviews.

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Harvard University •

Harvard University ,

Colorado School of Mines

Graduate School •

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   9

Lehigh University

BETHLEHEM, PA

• • Rating 4.42 out of 5   19

Florida Institute of Technology

MELBOURNE, FL

• • Rating 4.61 out of 5   64

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ •

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help students in office hours or in sponsorship of projects. The worst part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the lack of structure for the graduate research program which can leave you feeling unsure on the direction of your research. ... Read 3 reviews

PRINCETON, NJ ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help... .

Pratt School of Engineering

Durham, NC •

Duke University •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: New program, Financial Technology, is a comprehensive curriculum bringing together financial principles and computing. Interesting electives and flexibility to create your own tract, incorporating courses from all of Duke's colleges. ... Read 2 reviews

Duke University ,

DURHAM, NC ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says New program, Financial Technology, is a comprehensive curriculum bringing together financial principles and computing. Interesting electives and flexibility to create your own tract, incorporating... .

Read 2 reviews.

Brown University Graduate School

Providence, RI •

Brown University •

Brown University ,

PROVIDENCE, RI ,

• Find college scholarships

McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

Evanston, IL •

Northwestern University •

Master's Student: Northwestern's Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability is a first of its kind professionally focused master's program in the nation. Interdisciplinary by design, MSES covers the technical, policy, and business/economics of the energy and sustainability sector pulling professors from the Kellogg School of Management as well as the McCormick School of Engineering. The industry professionals are leaders in their respective fields and are always willing to help the students. The cohort focused program enables deep connection among the students that will last a lifetime! ... Read 3 reviews

Northwestern University ,

EVANSTON, IL ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says Northwestern's Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability is a first of its kind professionally focused master's program in the nation. Interdisciplinary by design, MSES covers the technical,... .

Vanderbilt School of Engineering

Nashville, TN •

Vanderbilt University •

Vanderbilt University ,

NASHVILLE, TN ,

McKelvey School of Engineering

St. Louis, MO •

Washington University in St. Louis •

Washington University in St. Louis ,

ST. LOUIS, MO ,

Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies

Hanover, NH •

Dartmouth College •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   1 review

Alum: I had a beautiful life-changing experience at the grand Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. The Guarini graduate program MALS created so many beautiful opportunities in interdisciplinary learning. Guarini is well integrated within the College, which provides a unique world-class learning experience. Guarini went beyond my expectations and made this experience the best I had and will ever have in my life. The only thing I would like changed is having a GRAD diploma in Latin instead of English to keep up with College tradition. ... Read 1 review

Dartmouth College ,

HANOVER, NH ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says I had a beautiful life-changing experience at the grand Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. The Guarini graduate program MALS created so many beautiful opportunities in interdisciplinary... .

Read 1 reviews.

Division of Engineering and Applied Science - California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA •

California Institute of Technology •

California Institute of Technology ,

PASADENA, CA ,

Physical Sciences Division - University of Chicago

Chicago, IL •

University of Chicago •

Master's Student: The masters in computer science at UChicago has an opportunity for students from nontraditional computer science backgrounds to take “immersion courses” to get up to speed before taking the masters level coursework, which is extremely inclusive programming. The program is also a top competitor and prepares students for professional careers. ... Read 1 review

University of Chicago ,

CHICAGO, IL ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says The masters in computer science at UChicago has an opportunity for students from nontraditional computer science backgrounds to take “immersion courses” to get up to speed before taking the masters... .

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Viterbi School of Engineering

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

Master's Student: Best experience is that I have the ability to engage with other students and my professors in real time. My worst experience would have to be; moments of not being able to hear what is being talked about during a lecture due to classroom audio issues. ... Read 2 reviews

University of Southern California ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says Best experience is that I have the ability to engage with other students and my professors in real time. My worst experience would have to be; moments of not being able to hear what is being talked about during a lecture due to classroom audio issues. .

Cornell Tech

New York, NY •

Cornell University •

• • Rating 4.25 out of 5   4 reviews

Current Master's student: Cornell Tech has a fantastic campus, the programs here are very industry-friendly and the professors are very experienced. ... Read 4 reviews

Cornell University ,

NEW YORK, NY ,

4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says Cornell Tech has a fantastic campus, the programs here are very industry-friendly and the professors are very experienced. .

Read 4 reviews.

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - Georgetown University

Nw Washington, DC •

Georgetown University •

Master's Student: The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We are informed of the professors office time and so we can email them to make inquiries and get assistance when needed. We make presentations during class which train us to become more bold and be able to communicate the concepts easily. We are able to discuss and critic writings independently. We work on projects in groups of about 3-4 and discuss findings to the entire class and professor. We review research papers and make meta-analyses inform of class projects. The program is well structured and i am gaining skills. My worst experience is having to worry about Tuition and other related school bills. ... Read 2 reviews

Georgetown University ,

NW WASHINGTON, DC ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We... .

Tufts University School of Engineering

Medford, MA •

Tufts University •

Master's Student: The application process was smooth and post-acceptance I was welcomed into the Tufts community. So far, Tufts has been very communicative, especially about the return to school during the Covid-19 pandemic. ... Read 3 reviews

Blue checkmark.

Tufts University ,

MEDFORD, MA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says The application process was smooth and post-acceptance I was welcomed into the Tufts community. So far, Tufts has been very communicative, especially about the return to school during the Covid-19... .

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

University of California - Los Angeles •

University of California - Los Angeles ,

School of Computer Science - Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA •

Carnegie Mellon University •

Carnegie Mellon University ,

PITTSBURGH, PA ,

Laney Graduate School

Atlanta, GA •

Emory University •

Master's Student: I chose the graduate programs at Emory because they are ranked among the best in the country. The school of nursing also provides the clinical experiences, something many of the online only nurse practitioner programs do not do. ... Read 2 reviews

Emory University ,

ATLANTA, GA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says I chose the graduate programs at Emory because they are ranked among the best in the country. The school of nursing also provides the clinical experiences, something many of the online only nurse... .

College of Computing - Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

Master's Student: The masters data analytics program is VERY intense! I was warned that the online program would be just as intense as the in person program, but to me it's on a whole different level. I am only taking one class because I have a full time job and I am a single parent and I have had many late nights and early mornings. It's challenging, but if you love coding, I would recommended it. If you can get through COVID as a parent, I believe that there is nothing (like this masters program) that you would not be able to accomplish and be successful at it. ... Read 1 review

Georgia Institute of Technology ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The masters data analytics program is VERY intense! I was warned that the online program would be just as intense as the in person program, but to me it's on a whole different level. I am only... .

UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science

Berkeley, CA •

University of California - Berkeley •

University of California - Berkeley ,

BERKELEY, CA ,

College of Arts & Sciences - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC •

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill •

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ,

CHAPEL HILL, NC ,

P.C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science

Bethlehem, PA •

Lehigh University •

Lehigh University ,

BETHLEHEM, PA ,

Metropolitan College - Boston University

Boston, MA •

Boston University •

• • Rating 4.69 out of 5   13 reviews

Master's Student: Excellent guidance and resources for new students. Very responsive staff across departments. Additional supplementary instruction to ensure students have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in their courses. ... Read 13 reviews

Boston University ,

BOSTON, MA ,

13 Niche users give it an average review of 4.7 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Excellent guidance and resources for new students. Very responsive staff across departments. Additional supplementary instruction to ensure students have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed... .

Read 13 reviews.

Grainger College of Engineering

Urbana, IL •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ,

URBANA, IL ,

Illinois Institute of Technology

CHICAGO, IL

• • Rating 4.37 out of 5   38

School of Arts & Sciences - Clarkson University

Clarkson University •

POTSDAM, NY

Showing results 1 through 25 of 111

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• Northwestern Engineering

Academics   /   Graduate PhD in Computer Science

The doctor of philosophy in computer science program at Northwestern University primarily prepares students to become expert independent researchers. PhD students conduct original transformational research in extant and emerging computer science topics. Students work alongside top researchers to advance the core CS fields from Theory to AI and Systems and Networking . In addition, PhD students have the opportunity to collaborate with CS+X faculty who are jointly appointed between CS and disciplines including business, law, economics, journalism, and medicine.

Joining a Track

Doctor of philosophy in computer science students follow the course requirements, qualifying exam structure, and thesis process specific to one of five tracks :

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Computer Engineering

Within each track, students explore many areas of interest, including programming languages , security and privacy and human-computer interaction .

Learn more about computer science research areas

Curriculum and Requirements

The focus of the CS PhD program is learning how to do research by doing research, and students are expected to spend at least 50% of their time on research. Students complete ten graduate curriculum requirements (including COMP_SCI 496: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Computer Science ), and additional course selection is tailored based on individual experience, research track, and interests. Students must also successfully complete a qualifying exam to be admitted to candidacy.

CS PhD Manual Apply now

Request More Information

Download a PDF program guide about your program of interest and get in contact with our graduate admissions staff.

Request info about the PhD degree

Opportunities for PhD Students

Cognitive science certificate.

Computer science PhD students may earn a specialization in cognitive science by taking six cognitive science courses. In addition to broadening a student’s area of study and improving their resume, students attend cognitive science events and lectures, they can receive conference travel support, and they are exposed to cross-disciplinary exchanges.

The Crown Family Graduate Internship Program

PhD candidates may elect to participate in the Crown Family Graduate Internship Program. This opportunity allows the doctoral candidate to gain practical experience in industry or in national research laboratories in areas closely related to their research.

Management for Scientists and Engineers Certificate Program

The certificate program — jointly offered by The Graduate School and Kellogg School of Management — provides post-candidacy doctoral students with a basic understanding of strategy, finance, risk and uncertainty, marketing, accounting and leadership. Students are introduced to business concepts and specific frameworks for effective management relevant to both for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

Career Paths

Recent graduates of the computer science PhD program are pursuing careers in industry & research labs, academia, and startups.

• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Northeastern
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Rochester
• University of Washington
• Naval Research Laboratory
• Northwestern University

Industry & Research Labs

• Adobe Research
• Narrative Science
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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What Students Are Saying

"One great benefit of Northwestern is the collaborative effort of the CS department that enabled me to work on projects involving multiple faculty, each with their own diverse set of expertise.

Northwestern maintains a great balance: you will work on leading research at a top-tier institution, and you won't get lost in the mix."

— Brian Suchy, PhD Candidate, Computer Systems

What Alumni Are Saying

"In the early stage of my PhD program, I took several courses from the Department of Economics and the Kellogg School of Management and, later, I started collaborating with researchers in those areas. The experience taught me how to have an open mind to embrace and work with people with different backgrounds."

— Yiding Feng (PhD '21), postdoctoral researcher, Microsoft Research Lab – New England

Read an alumni profile of Yiding Feng

"My work at IBM Research involves bringing together symbolic and deep learning techniques to solve problems in interpretable, effective ways, which means I must draw upon the research I did at Northwestern quite frequently."

— Maxwell Crouse (PhD '21), AI Research Scientist, IBM Research

Read an alumni profile of Maxwell Crouse

The theory group here is very warm and close-knit. Starting a PhD is daunting, and it is comforting to have a community I can lean on.

— Vaidehi Srinivas, PhD Candidate, CS Theory