JoAnn Peeler DFA
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Top Distance Learning Graduate Schools for CS Majors

During my search for Computer Science graduate schools, I really wanted a list of top rated, prestigious schools that offered an MSCS degree (or similar) via distance learning. Unfortunately, I never found that list. Therefore, I have put together my own list by taking the US News America's Best Graduate Schools 2005 list of top Computer Science graduate schools and then researching which of those schools also have distance learning programs. The result is the following list.

Rank School Degrees Tuition Entrance Requirements Score
1. Carnegie Mellon University (PA) MSIT, MSwE $4704 / course GRE General Exam
GRE CS Subject Exam
3 Rec Letters		 4.9
  Stanford University (CA) MSCS $3597 / course GRE General Exam
Statement of Purpose
3 Rec Letters		 4.9
3. University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign MCS $2576 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam
Statement of Purpose
3 Rec Letters		 4.6
4. Columbia University (NY) MSCS $3418 / course 3.3/4.0 Technical Courses
GRE General Exam
GRE CS Subject Exam
Personal/Professonal Statement
2 Rec Letters		 3.7
  Harvard University (MA) ALMIT $1500 - $1925 / course   3.7
6. University of Massachusetts-Amherst MSCS $1500 / course 2.75/4.0 Overall
GRE General Exam
Personal Statement
2 Rec Letters		 3.6
7. University of Southern California MSCS $3108 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam		 3.5
8. University of Colorado-Boulder MECS $1605 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall 3.2
9. Virginia Tech MIT ($1117.50)$1724.25 / course 3.0/4.0 Last 60 Hours
IT Work Experience or
GRE General Exam		 3.1
10. University of Florida MSCS ($615.78)$2323.59 / course 3.0/4.0 Upper Level Courses
GRE General Exam (1100)
Statement of Purpose
3 Rec Letters		 3.0
11. North Carolina State University MCS ($567)$2001 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
3 Rec Letters		 2.9
  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) MSCS, MSIT $2826 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
Statement of Background
2 Rec Letters		 2.9
13. Arizona State University MESwE, MCS ($2009)$2405 / course 3.25/4.0 Last 60 Hours
GRE General Exam
3 Rec Letters		 2.7
14. Boston University MSCIS $2360 / course Self Evaluation
Resume
3 Rec Letters		 2.6

Note: tutition rates shown as ($####)#### indicate that tuition for in-state students is different from out-of-state students. The rate shown in parentheses is the rate for in-state students.

Honorable Mention List

The following list of schools were not listed in the top Computer Science graduate schools by US News; however, in the interest of providing more information to those who might be looking beyond the list above, the following list is composed of universities that:
  1. Are regionally accredited.
  2. Offer a technical degree of interest to CS students by distance learning.
  3. Have a significant portion of their enrollment on campus (i.e. not distance learning.)

School Degrees Tuition Entrance Requirements
Auburn University (AL) MSwE $1500 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam
Bellevue University (NE) MSCIS $930 / course 2.5/4.0 GPA Last 60 Hours
3.0/4.0 Any Prior Graduate Work
California State University-Chico MSCS $1675 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Last 30 Hours
2.75/4.0 GPA Last 60 Hours
Columbus State University (GA) MSACS ($373)$1417 / course 2.75/4.0 GPA Overall or
3.00/4.0 GPA Major or
Significant experience
Letter of Application
GRE General Exam (900)
2 Rec Letters
Capitol College (MD) MSCS, MSIA, MSNS $1230 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
Statement of Professional Objectives
Colorado State University MCS $1920 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam
3 Rec Letters
Dakota State University (SD) MSIS ($337.35)$994.50 / course 2.75/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam or
3.25/4.0 GPA Overall or
BS Degree earned over 15 yrs ago
Depaul University (IL) MSCS, MSCINS,
MSDS, MSIS,
MSIT, MSSwE		 $2140 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam
3 Rec Letters
Drexel University (PA) MSIS $2320 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Last 2 Years
GRE General Exam or
3.2/4.0 GPA Last 2 Years
2 Rec Letters
Resume
Florida Atlantic University MSCS ($629.46)$2325.45 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Last 60 Hours
GRE General Exam (1000)
Kansas State University MSwE $1335 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Junior/Senior Years
GRE General Exam (400V, 650Q)
Description of Work Experience
Statement of Goals
3 Rec Letters
Kennesaw State University (GA) MSACS $5000 / semester 2.75/4.0 GPA Overall
Work experience in computing industry
Marist College (NY) MSIS $1590 / course  
Mississippi State University MSCS $597.75 / course 2.75/4.0 GPA Last 2 Years
GRE General Exam
Statement of Purpose
3 Rec Letters
New Jersey Institute of Technology MSCS, MSIS ($1800)$2385 / course 2.8/4.0 GPA Overall
Nova Southeastern University (FL) MSCS, MSCIS, MSIS $1275 / course 2.5/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam or
Resume
Regis University (CO) MSCIT, MSSIS $1245 / course Career Goals Statement
Resume
Southern Methodist University (TX) MSCS, MSSwE $2946 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam (650Q)
SUNY Binghamton University MSCS ($1165.05)$1615.05 / course GRE General Exam
Personal Statement
2 Rec Letters
Tarleton State University (TX) MSIS ($375)$1119 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Last 60 Hours
GRE General Exam
Statement of Goals/Experience
Texas Tech University MSSwE ($800)$1600 / course GRE General Exam (1100)
University of Hawaii MSCIS ($579)$1356 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Last 2 Years
GRE General Exam
B in Data Structures
University of Idaho MSCS $1404 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Last 60 Hours or
2.8/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam (non ABET BS only)
Statement of Career Objectives
Resume
3 Rec Letters
University of Maryland Baltimore County MSIS $1896 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
University of Maryland University College MSwE, MSIT ($1017)$1659 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
Personal Statement
University of Michigan-Dearborn MSSwE ($1464.60)$1574.70 / course 3.0/4.0 GPA Overall
GRE General Exam
Personal Statement
3 Rec Letters

If you know of a program that belongs on this list, please email me a URL that I can use to research it.
peeler@cs.fsu.edu

Degree Key

Abbreviation Degree
ALMIT Master of Liberal Arts in Information Technology
MCS Master of Computer Science
MECS Master of Engineering in Computer Science
MESwE Master of Engineering in Software Engineering
MIT Master of Information Technology
MSACS Master of Science in Applied Computer Science
MSCINS Master of Science in Computer, Information and Network Security
MSCIS Master of Science in Computer and Information Science
MSCS Master of Science in Computer Science
MSDS Master of Science in Distributed Systems
MSIA Master of Science in Information Architecture
MSIS Master of Science in Information Systems
MSIT Master of Science in Information Technology
MSNS Master of Science in Network Security
MSSwE Master of Science in Software Engineering
MSwE Master of Software Engineering

Last updated 9/9/2004.