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Online Computer Science Degree are on the rise and it is important that you upgrade your qualifications in Computer Science irrespective of your location.
In this article, we have listed the top Online Computer Science Degree programs offered by Universities all over the World with all critical details like fees, program duration, link to apply, Specialization and other details.
Table of contents:
- Are online Computer Science degree worth it?
- Top Online Computer Science Degree programs
- Concluding Note
Are online Computer Science degree worth it?
Online Computer Science Degrees are seeing an upward trend both among graduates and employers.
It is estimated that by 2030, more than 45% of the Computer Science graduates will be holding Online Computer Science degrees and 60% of the jobs will be held by Online Computer Science Degree graduates.
As of 2022, 15% of the Software Developers at Google are either self-taught programmers holding online Computer Science degree.
Having an online Computer Science degree giving the following first impressions:
- Candidate has a good inclination towards self-learning. This is an important skill in Computer Science as the field is rapidly changing.
- Candidate does not need constant monitoring to get work done.
There are some benefits on doing a Computer Science degree online compared to a corresponding offline course:
- You can do it part-time and easily manage your day job.
- It helps you pursue a degree at World Class Universities irrespective of location which is important in this era.
- Online courses are relatively cheaper than On-campus courses as you save on relocation and living expenses.
Requirements to pursue Online Computer Science Degree:
- Complete High School education.
- ACT or SAT Scores
- Minimum GPA of 2.0
- Specific Course requirements.
Top Online Computer Science Degree programs
Several Universities around the World have started providing Online Computer Science Degree programs which anyone can take up irrespective of thier location and manage accordingly.
Following are the top Online Computer Science Degree courses:
- University of Florida
- Colorado Technical University (CTU), USA
- University of London
- IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany
- Oregon State University
- University of Illinois at Springfield
- Stanford University
- IIT, Madras
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology OCW
- Harvard University
University of Florida
- Institute: University of Florida
- Fees: $500 per credit ~ $70,000 (total)
- Duration: 4 years
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Part-time
- Degree offered: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)
- Specialization: None
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: 3.0 GPA, SAT
- Apply: ufonline.ufl.edu
This course is ranked Number 1 in USA by "US News and World Report" in 2022. The advantage is that graduates have access to exclusive career service of UF to help you land your first job.
This course is supported by Amazon.
If you are a resident of Florida, the program fee is significantly less ($20,000) compared to $70,000 for people outside of Florida.
Colorado Technical University (CTU)
- Institute: Colorado Technical University, USA
- Fees: $67,000
- Duration: 5 years (part-time) or 3 years (Full-time)
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Both
- Degree offered: Bachelor, Master
- Specialization: Cybersecurity, Data Science, Software Engineering
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: High-School pass-out
- Link/ Apply: coloradotech.edu/online-degree-programs
In Bachelors degree, provides three courses in Computer Science that are:
- Bachelor in Computer Science
- Bachelor in Computer Science - Cybersecurity Engineering
- Bachelor in Computer Science in Data Science [Only Online]
- Bachelor in Computer Science in Software Engineering [Only Online]
There are 3 batches for each program: April, May, June Total credits for the program is 183. The course load is part time (1 course per session) or Full-time (2 course per session).
For Doctorate degree (online), following options are available:
- Computer Science - general
- Computer Science - Big Data Analytics
- Computer Science - Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
University of London
- Institute: University of London + Coursera
- Fees: £16,790
- Duration: 3 to 6 years
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Part-time
- Degree offered: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
- Specialization: Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Web Development
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: High School diploma or Work Experience
- Link: Apply and details
University of London provides an online B.Sc in Computer Science degree through Coursera. Batch starts in April. Total credits for the program is 360. University of London is a prestigious University and the online program is equally valuable.
It has multiple options to get multiple course certificates that will strengthen your profile. This includes:
- Google IT Support certificate
- IBM AI Engineering certificate
- IBM Data Science certificate
- IBM Applied AI certificate
This course can be convinient as you have access to Coursera support team as well. On completion, you will get Career employability support from University of London which will help you land your first job. Hence, the course is equally good as compared to a Campus Course. This is a relatively cheaper course as other courses charge same amount as an offline course.
There is only 1 B.Sc course in Computer Science offered by Coursera. For M.Sc in Computer Science, the following Universities have partnered with Coursera for online degrees:
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Illinois
- University of Pennsylvania
- Universidad de los Andes
- Arizona State University
IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany
- Institute: IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany
- Fees: €117 per month or (€5600 in total)
- Duration: 3 years
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Part-time, Full-time, Extended
- Degree offered: B.Sc in Computer Science
- Specialization: Multiple specializations offered
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: Higher Secondary School completed; Eligibility to study at a university in Germany
- Apply: IU Online B.Sc in CS
IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany is the largest University in Germany and was founded in 1998. Its online program for Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is a flexible program.
You can take upto 4 weeks of the course for free and based on the experience, you can make a decision to proceed further.
Depending on the mode of study you opt for, the fee will vary. You can apply for scholarship as well:
- Full-time: €5600
- Part-time: €4700
- Extended: €3600
This program is relatively cheaper than other online Computer Science degree programs based in USA.
This program has partnered with London South Bank University (LSBU) to offer the graduates an extension to complete a dual degree (B.Sc + M.Sc). This enables you to hold two valuable degrees: one from Germany and other from United Kingdom.
This program offers the following specializations:
- Salesforce Platform Development: This is the core specialization of the program that differentiates it from other programs.
- Mobile Software Engineering
- Big Data and Cloud Technologies
- Business Intelligence
- Software Engineering with Python
- IT Project and Architecture Management
Oregon State University
- Institute: Oregon State University
- Fees: $69,500
- Duration: 4 years
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Full-time
- Degree offered: B. Sc in Computer Science
- Specialization: Cybersecurity
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: Higher Secondary School completed;
- Link: Apply at OSU
Oregon State University's online programs are ranked in top 3 in USA by multiple outlets in general. The Online Computer Science course at OSU is ranked in top 15 in USA.
OSU conduct 2 career showcase each year in Portland, Oregon. The aim is help students of the online program connect with employers at top companies like Google, IBM, Intel and ithers. This is an unique opportunity compared to other Universities but this requires offline presence. It provides both travel and tuition fee scholarship. The focus of this online program is to help graduates get enrolled in a Graduate University in USA.
There are two terms each year: start in March and June. It provides an opportunity of specialization in Cybersecurity.
University of Illinois at Springfield
- Institute: University of Illinois at Springfield
- Fees: $30,000
- Duration: 3 to 4 years
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Part-time
- Degree offered: B.Sc, M.Sc
- Specialization: Information System Security
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: Minimum GPA: 2.0 + Few courses
- Link: Apply
It provides both B. Sc and M.Sc in Computer Science. It includes a specialization in Information System Security. There are two batches each year: Spring and Fall.
There are pre-requisites to the Online Program where the candidate should have Java Programming experience and basics of Calculus, Discrete Finite Mathematics and Statistics. Candidates can take courses at UIS to satisfy these pre-requisites.
The online B.Sc in Computer Science program need 36 credits to complete.
Stanford University
- Institute: Stanford University
- Fees: $21,000
- Duration: 3 to 5 years
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Part-time
- Degree offered: M.Sc in Computer Science
- Specialization: AI, Systems and much more
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: B.Sc + TOEFL
- Link: Apply
Stanford University is one of the leading Universities in the World and its Computer Science programs are world renowned. It is the University that lead to great companies like Google, Cisco, HP, Nike, PayPal, NVIDIA and much more.
Stanford University does not provide online B.Sc programs but it does run an online M.Sc program.
This M.Sc program is designed for students who aim to get a job following graudation. It is not intended to be an entry point for research or PhD. This is a very competitive online program with over 3000 applications each year and there is only 1 batch per year.
The program consist of 45 credits.
Only 2 specializations: AI and System Engineering can be completely entirely online. Other specializations require candidates to attend specific classes offline. Depending on your situation, you need to choose the specialization accordingly. Following specializations are available in the program:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Biocomputation
- Computer and Network Security
- Human Computer Interaction
- Information Management and Analytics
- Real World Computing
- Software Theory
- Systems
- Theoretical Computer Science
If you plan to get an degree from a top University like Stanford University along with having other commitments, then this is an good opportunity.
Stanford University provide other free online programs like "Computer Science 101" that are self-paced. These courses does not issue an official degree certificate.
IIT, Madras
- Institute: Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
- Fees: $4000
- Duration: 3 years
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Self-paced
- Degree offered: B.Sc in Programming and Data Science
- Specialization: Data Science
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: Completed Class 12 (High School)
- Link: Apply
IIT, Madras is a prestigious University in India and ranks in top 5 Engineering Institutes in the Country. It admit students to its on-campus degree programs through a Nation wide competitive examination with an acceptance rate of less than 0.5%. It is one of the most selective Institutes in the World.
In case, you want to get an Online Computer Science Degree from a top Indian Institute, this is your choice. Note that this is a newly formed course but the degree offered is official and graduates become alumni of IIT, Madras.
The course is divided into 3 parts with the option to exit the course at any level:
- Foundational Level (8 courses)
- Diploma Level (6 Programming courses + 6 Data Science courses)
- Degree Level (11 courses)
This degree is significantly cheaper compared to other alternatives.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology OCW
- Institute: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Fees: Free
- Duration: Self-paced
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Part-time
- Degree offered: No degree - Self paced
- Specialization: All
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: None
- Link: Pursue CS
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a leading University in the World and is ranked consistently in top 3 in the World. Its Computer Science program is world renowned.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) does not provide Online courses for degree programs. MIT has an initiative known as OCW which provides the complete lectures and study material for wide range of courses.
Students can take these free courses at their own pace but no degree or certificate will be issued.
Harvard University
- Institute: Harvard University
- Fees: Free
- Duration: Self-paced
- Mode: Online
- Part-time or Full-time: Part-time
- Degree offered: No degree - Self paced
- Specialization: All
- Pre-requisite/ Qualification: None
- Link: Pursue CS
Harvard University ranks in the Top 3 universities in the World. It has given rise to great technology companies like Facebook, Microsoft, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Intuit.
Like MIT, Harvard University does not provide online Computer Science degree. Alternatively, it does provide free and paid courses in Computer Science and certificates are issued on completion.
Some of the online courses offered by Harvard University are:
- Introduction to Game Development (12 weeks)
- Introduction to Computer Science (11 weeks)
- Computer Science for Lawyers (10 weeks)
- Introduction to AI with Python (7 weeks)
- Computer Science for Business Professionals (6 weeks)
- Introduction to Programming (3 weeks)
- Data Science (8 weeks)
- Cybersecurity (9 weeks, $2900)
Concluding Note
Computer Science is the most demanding domain for Higher Studies today and the jobs in this field are expected to increase by 14% in the next decade. It is important that you pursue an online degree today so that you can capture this growing demand and build a successful career.
