For its affordability, Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, leads the group with an estimated out-of-state tuition rate of $10,500 for two years of full-time enrollment. Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, comes in second with a tuition rate of $12,240 for their two-year program, and the University of Illinois Springfield in Springfield, Illinois, comes in third at $13,041.

All of the schools in this ranking are nonprofit, accredited, and offer online programs with lower than average tuition rates. Their affordability was determined on the basis of current out-of-state tuition rates.

Other universities making the list include (alphabetically ordered):

• Arizona State University - Phoenix, Arizona
• Colorado State University - Fort Collins, Colorado
• Dakota State University - Madison, South Dakota
• Florida Atlantic University - Boca Raton, Florida
• Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore, Maryland
• Missouri University of Science and Technology - Rolla, Missouri
• New Jersey Institute of Technology - Newark, New Jersey
• North Carolina State University - Raleigh, North Carolina
• Old Dominion University - Norfolk, Virginia
• Pennsylvania State University World Campus - State College, Pennsylvania
• Regis University - Denver, Colorado
• Rochester Institute of Technology - Rochester, New York
• Texas Tech University - Lubbock, Texas
• University of Bridgeport - Bridgeport, Connecticut
• University of Denver - Denver, Colorado
• University of Louisville - Louisville, Kentucky
• University of Southern California - Los Angeles, California

"Careers in computer science promise enviable salaries and diverse opportunities. Available positions are projected to increase by 25% in the next ten years as we move to an increasingly digital world," says Liz Robertson, editor at Nonprofit Colleges Online. "Those candidates who hold a graduate degree in computer science can ensure that they have not only obtained a broad grounding in the field, but have also specialized in one or more facets of the discipline."

Because all manner of modern businesses rely on the skills that computer science professionals bring to the workplace, new graduates will have a broad variety of opportunities awaiting them in nearly every industry imaginable. The most popular positions for computer science graduates include: software applications developer; computer systems engineer; computer systems analyst; database administrator; systems administrator; network administrator; web developer; computer programmer; and software systems developer. Some students who begin these programs withdraw and redirect their academic paths, but those who pursue a computer science degree to completion will reap the benefits of this versatile career choice.