Appleton, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs, with tuition ranging from $5,040 to $69,849 per year for indexed programs. Appleton has a population of about 74,873. Median household income is $77,450 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Appleton, WI metro area, the top-earning computer science-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $149,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Computer Science Schools to Appleton
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer computer science programs near Appleton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Appleton 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Appleton.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
64%
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,789
Avg net price
$23,401/yr
TuitionIn‑state$56,982
Out‑of‑state$56,982
Key stats
- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,684
Avg net price
$11,407/yr
TuitionIn‑state$5,040
Out‑of‑state$7,283
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Wisconsin schools on the Wisconsin computer science page.
Computer Science Wages Near Appleton
Appleton is part of the Appleton, WI metro area (BLS area code 11540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Software Developer |
$102,970 |
Appleton, WI |
$111,439 |
| Computer Systems Analyst |
$101,360 |
Appleton, WI |
$109,697 |
| Computer Network Architect |
$129,410 |
Appleton, WI |
$140,054 |
| Database Administrator |
$100,020 |
WI statewide |
$108,247 |
| Database Architect |
$137,810 |
WI statewide |
$149,145 |
| Information Security Analyst |
$101,550 |
WI statewide |
$109,903 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist |
$81,010 |
WI statewide |
$87,673 |
| Computer User Support Specialist |
$57,060 |
Appleton, WI |
$61,753 |
| Web Developer |
$61,110 |
Appleton, WI |
$66,136 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designer |
$95,340 |
WI statewide |
$103,182 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager |
$149,070 |
Appleton, WI |
$161,331 |
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.
Appleton at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
74,873 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$77,450 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
37.0% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
92.4 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
| Computer Science-related employment in Outagamie County |
1,002 workers, 108 establishments |
BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Appleton-Area Cities With Computer Science Programs
- Neenah, WI – 8.7 mi away (25,914 pop)
- De Pere, WI – 18.6 mi away (24,893 pop)
- Oshkosh, WI – 19.5 mi away (75,057 pop)
- Green Bay, WI – 25.7 mi away (208,670 pop)
- Fond du Lac, WI – 35.0 mi away (54,811 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited computer science schools are near Appleton, WI?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs near Appleton. The closest is Lawrence University in Appleton, WI (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (22.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying computer science roles near Appleton?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer science-related roles near Appleton are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($149,070), Database Architect ($137,810), Computer Network Architect ($129,410). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Neenah instead of Appleton?
Neenah, WI is 8.7 miles from Appleton 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 Appleton an affordable place to study computer science?
Appleton’s median household income of $77,450 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Appleton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Appleton
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Appleton:
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- Library Science programs in Appleton, WI
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- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Appleton, WI
- Medical Assistant programs in Appleton, WI
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Appleton, WI
- Health Science programs in Appleton, WI
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- Entrepreneurship programs in Appleton, WI
- Interior Design programs in Appleton, WI
- Photography programs in Appleton, WI
- Sustainability Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Appleton, WI
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Appleton, WI
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Appleton, WI
- Journalism programs in Appleton, WI
- Public Relations programs in Appleton, WI
- Communication Disorders programs in Appleton, WI
- Speech Pathology programs in Appleton, WI
- Technical Communication programs in Appleton, WI
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- Business Development programs in Appleton, WI
- Construction Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Economics programs in Appleton, WI
- Financial Technology programs in Appleton, WI
- Forensic Accounting programs in Appleton, WI
- Health Information Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Hospitality Management programs in Appleton, WI
- International Business programs in Appleton, WI
- Organizational Leadership programs in Appleton, WI
- Management Information Systems programs in Appleton, WI
- Nonprofit Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Operations Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Public Administration programs in Appleton, WI
- Real Estate programs in Appleton, WI
- Recreation Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Retail Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Risk Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Statistics programs in Appleton, WI
- Taxation programs in Appleton, WI
- Corrections programs in Appleton, WI
- Crime Analysis programs in Appleton, WI
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Appleton, WI
- Criminology programs in Appleton, WI
- Cybercrime programs in Appleton, WI
- Emergency Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Fire Science programs in Appleton, WI
- Forensic Science programs in Appleton, WI
- Legal Services programs in Appleton, WI
- Legal Studies programs in Appleton, WI
- Paralegal programs in Appleton, WI
- Security Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Cloud Computing programs in Appleton, WI
- Computer Engineering programs in Appleton, WI
- Innovation programs in Appleton, WI
- Mobile App Development programs in Appleton, WI
- Software Development programs in Appleton, WI
- User Experience programs in Appleton, WI
- Web Development programs in Appleton, WI
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Appleton, WI
- Machine Learning programs in Appleton, WI
- Supply Chain Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Data Analytics programs in Appleton, WI
- Public Health programs in Appleton, WI
- Human Resources programs in Appleton, WI
- Project Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Special Education programs in Appleton, WI
- Homeland Security programs in Appleton, WI
- Marketing programs in Appleton, WI
- Finance programs in Appleton, WI
- Kinesiology programs in Appleton, WI
- Sports Management programs in Appleton, WI
- Early Childhood Education programs in Appleton, WI
- Elementary Education programs in Appleton, WI
- Biology programs in Appleton, WI
- Communications programs in Appleton, WI
- Graphic Design programs in Appleton, WI
- Human Services programs in Appleton, WI
- MBA programs in Appleton, WI
- Criminal Justice programs in Appleton, WI
- Nursing programs in Appleton, WI
- Business Administration programs in Appleton, WI
- Psychology programs in Appleton, WI
- Education programs in Appleton, WI
- Engineering programs in Appleton, WI
- Technology programs in Appleton, WI
- Liberal Arts programs in Appleton, WI
- Healthcare programs in Appleton, WI
- Cybersecurity programs in Appleton, WI
- Accounting programs in Appleton, WI
- Healthcare Administration programs in Appleton, WI
- Social Work programs in Appleton, WI
- Counseling programs in Appleton, WI
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 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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