Best Computer Science Schools Near Cambridge, MA (2026)

Cambridge, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs, with tuition ranging from $6,168 to $86,285 per year for indexed programs. Cambridge has a population of about 117,794. Median household income is $126,469 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 80.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning computer science-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $214,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Computer Science Schools to Cambridge

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer computer science programs near Cambridge, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cambridge city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Cambridge. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 0.1 miles from Cambridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $101,817
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 174

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 1.7 miles from Cambridge
  • 4 year
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,372
Avg net price $20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts computer science page.


Computer Science Wages Near Cambridge

Cambridge is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer $166,090 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $153,361
Computer Systems Analyst $129,180 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $119,280
Computer Network Architect $160,650 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $148,338
Database Administrator $132,370 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $122,225
Database Architect $161,650 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $149,261
Information Security Analyst $136,550 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $126,085
Computer Network Support Specialist $88,950 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $82,133
Computer User Support Specialist $77,850 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $71,884
Web Developer $108,520 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $100,203
Web and Digital Interface Designer $122,270 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $112,899
Computer and Information Systems Manager $214,960 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $198,486

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Cambridge at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 117,794 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $126,469 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 80.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Computer Science-related employment in Middlesex County 30,866 workers, 2,566 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cambridge-Area Cities With Computer Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited computer science schools are near Cambridge, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs near Cambridge. The closest is Harvard University in Cambridge, MA (0.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bunker Hill Community College (2.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying computer science roles near Cambridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer science-related roles near Cambridge are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($214,960), Software Developer ($166,090), Database Architect ($161,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Somerville instead of Cambridge?

Somerville, MA is 1.4 miles from Cambridge and has its own set of local computer science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Cambridge an affordable place to study computer science?

Cambridge’s median household income of $126,469 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cambridge while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Computer Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Cambridge

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Cambridge:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.