Top Recommended Schools for Data Science Degrees

Data Science has become a pillar for successful businesses, corporations, and even sports teams. The global revenue for the data science industry will surpass $320 billion by the time 2026 rolls around. So, it’s no wonder data scientists are in high demand. 

And if you’re looking to become one, you’ll find the right information in this article. Is data science an excellent degree to pursue? What are the requirements for it? And most importantly, which are the top recommended data science schools across the US? Let’s find out. 

Is a Data Science Degree a Good Choice? 

Yes, a data science degree can be a beneficial option for graduation. If you’re good with math or statistics, you can make a career by pursuing a data science degree. 

Data scientists play a vital role in extracting critical information from existing data. They create predictive models, churn out statistics, and leverage data to help businesses make data-driven decisions. Besides, the University of Notre Dame reports that 100% of data science graduates find full-time employment within 6 months of graduation. 

On top of that, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says that data scientists earn up to $100,000 per year on average. These further weigh in the argument about data science being a valuable and worthy degree choice. 

What Are the Requirements?

You need to be proven in math, statistics, or computer science subjects to apply for a data science degree. As always, it’s important to research specific schools about their requirements because they can vary depending on particular universities and colleges.

For a bachelor’s in data science, you’ll need a high-school diploma in math/CS. For a master’s degree in data science, you’ll be required to have a degree in data or computer science and a prowess in programming languages, courses like data analysis, machine learning, etc. 

Here are some requirements from the top universities that offer bachelor’s and master’s programs in data science online and on campus:

As you can see, some of these universities offer the same degrees but have varying requirements. Therefore, while some requirements remain the same, a university or college might present some unique prerequisites.

How to Choose the Best Data Science University for Myself? 

The best university programs are usually the ones that align with your goals. For instance, if you already hold a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s in data science online might be the best choice for you. This way, it’ll be more affordable and you can take the degree from your home and while working.

Or, if you’re a fresh high-school graduate, you can also find any data science bachelor’s degree online. Regardless of the degree level, you need to consider a few key things, like:

1. Industry focus of the degree.
2. Part-time vs full-time.
3. Online vs on-campus.
4. Total cost of the degree.
5. Courses and curriculum that align with career goals.
6. Available specializations or minors/majors. 

Now, you can simplify these things by looking for specific features in a school or university. How do you do that? By considering these factors: 

Another critical factor to consider is the universities that are IN your state rather than out of it—and it applies to online schools, too. Because finding an in-state university will open the doors to financial aid. Besides, out-of-state tuition is usually double or more.

For instance, the University of California Berkeley offers a BA in Data Science that costs $17,000 for in-state students. And the same degree for out-of-state students is $43,000. Therefore, it’s not only important but necessary to consider universities that are within your range—if budget is an issue.

If not, then you should pursue the top names, but then comes the matter of acceptance rate and qualifications necessary for specific universities. Once again, the University of California Berkeley offers quite an affordable data science bachelor’s degree, but the acceptance rate is a tightly knit 11%.

So, focus on choosing the one option that has a high acceptance rate, affordable fees, good courses, and a program that presents considerable career choices. 

Recommended Data Science Schools 

The United States has no shortage of great universities or colleges. If you can afford it, you should surely go for significant names like Harvard, MIT, etc. However, if you can’t, you can still find high-profile colleges and universities offering an affordable data science course or degree.

So, let’s talk about some of the top schools in the USA for data science degrees today. These include community colleges, undergraduate universities, and schools that offer masters in data analytics online or on-campus. 

Data Analytics Community College 

There are quite a few colleges that offer the best data science programs online and on campus. A ton of community colleges have Data Analytics associate’s degrees and CCL certifications available. However, we’ve selected five best community colleges with data science degrees and certifications, including: 

All of these colleges fall under the “affordable” category, as full-time universities tend to cost a lot more. The most cost-efficient option on this list is Bunker Hill Community College’s AS in Data Analysis. It’s a good college and the program is quite robust. 

Then, you have options like Mesa/Maricopa Community Colleges, which offer CCL (Certificate of Completion) as well as Associate in Data Analytics. Maricopa is also available in 6+ cities, so it might be the best option for some of you. 

Best Colleges For Data Science Undergraduate

Universities that offer these degrees are available abundantly, too. You can indeed find a university nearby that offers a BA or BS in Data Science/Analytics. However, some of these options are considered the top universities and colleges in the US for data science degrees, including: 

While the University of California Berkeley has a challenging acceptance rate, the price of the degree is quite attractive. Then, you have the University of Francisco and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Both these options have high acceptance rates, but the cost of their degree is relatively high, too.

So, it comes down to which you can afford, nearest to you, and offers a program that aligns with your goals. 

Top Universities For Master’s In Data Science

Now, let’s talk about the best MS in data science in the USA with fees that don’t break the bank. You can easily find data science masters without GRE or GMAT requirements, as most of these degrees prefer students with hands-on experience in the industry.

Some of the top universities with the best master’s of data science programs today include: 

All of these universities are considered the best in their respective states. Now, you cannot consider Columbia or Harvard as the cheapest online data science master’s universities. However, options like the National University and the University of Illinois at Springfield are indeed top names with great affordability. 

Conclusion

These are some of the top programs in their respective categories. You can find various other names as well by simply looking for the best universities in your state that offer data analytics or data science. However, these are the best options if you are looking to fast forward to a fruitful career in data science.

On top of that, it’s also essential to look up the requirements of each program linked above. Some of them have lenient requirements, but others might have demanding admission necessities. So, it’s always a good idea to look at degree requirements for the one you wish to pursue. 

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