How Much Does a Data Science Degree Cost?

There is no single price for a data science degree. Universities publish tuition per credit, per term, per year or as one figure for the whole program, and they add fees in different ways. Two programs that look similar can differ by tens of thousands of dollars, and a low per-credit rate can still add up to a large total. This guide shows how to read tuition pages and turn them into a number you can compare.

Three ways universities publish tuition

Per credit

The most common format for graduate programs. ASU Online, for example, lists graduate tuition for 2026–27 at "$605 per credit hour, plus program fees" for most programs. Columbia Engineering's 2026–2027 bulletin says M.S. students "pay $2,822 per credit, except when a special fee is fixed."

A per-credit rate is not the price of the degree. You have to multiply it by the number of credits the program requires.

Per term

Some programs charge a flat amount per semester or quarter. Northwestern's accelerated MS in Data Science lists 2026–27 tuition of $16,215 per quarter and $64,860 for the entire four-quarter program, with technology, student services and health services fees charged on top each quarter. Here the number of terms you enroll matters as much as the rate.

Whole program

Some universities print a single program total. Eastern University's online MS in Data Science states that "total tuition & program fees combined are $9,900 for 2026-2027." Boston University lists its online MS in Data Science at a total of $25,000, paid in modules. The University of Virginia states its online MS in Data Science is "$50,259 for tuition and fees."

Whole-program prices are the easiest to compare, but read what they include. UVA's figure includes fees; Northwestern's $64,860 is tuition only.

Estimating the total: per-credit rate × credits

When a program publishes only a per-credit rate, a reasonable estimate is:

estimated total tuition = per-credit rate × required credits

Examples from our directory (October 2026), using each university's published rate and credit total:

In our directory (October 2026) we could build a comparable tuition estimate like this for 76 programs; see our methodology for how estimates are calculated and what they leave out. These are examples, not averages, and they exclude most fees, books, housing and travel.

The estimate can still move. Rates usually change each academic year, so a two-year program may cost more than today's rate × credits. Northwestern's page notes that its tuition is reviewed yearly and has typically been adjusted by about 2.5% to 3.5% when it changed. Transfer credit or prerequisite courses can also change the number of credits you pay for.

Resident vs. nonresident rates

Public universities usually charge state residents less. The gap can be large:

• Kennesaw State University (2026–27 graduate rates): $306 per credit hour for Georgia residents, $1,175 for nonresidents, and a separate online tuition rate of $405 per credit hour.
• Florida Atlantic University (2026–27): combined tuition and fees for undergraduates of $203.29 per credit hour for residents and $799.72 for nonresidents. Over 120 credits, that is roughly $24,395 vs. $95,966.

Online programs often have their own rates, and these do not always favor residents. Old Dominion University's online MS in Data Science and Analytics lists $672 per credit hour for Virginia residents (including mandatory auxiliary tuition) and $662 for out-of-state students, effective Fall 2026.

Some programs charge everyone the same. Michigan State's MS in Data Science applies "a flat fee of $39,000 for in-state, out-of-state, and international students." UW–Eau Claire says students in its online MS "pay the same tuition whether they live in Wisconsin or elsewhere." CU Boulder's MS-DS on Coursera is $525 per credit hour, $15,750 for 30 credits, the same for all students regardless of residency. UT Austin lists $10,000 total tuition for its online MS in Data Science "regardless of residency status."

Fees and costs outside tuition

Tuition is rarely the whole bill. Look for:

• Per-term fees. Kennesaw's fee tables add $594 in student fees per term on top of per-credit tuition.
• Per-credit online fees. FAU charges a Distance Learning Fee of $30 per credit for online courses.
• Program and one-time fees. UVA's online MS requires a non-refundable $500 tuition deposit, applied toward tuition, once you accept an offer.
• Travel for required attendance. SMU says its online program's tuition "does not include books, supplies or travel to and from the immersion." Berkeley's MIDS lists a $500 immersion program fee, and students pay their own lodging and travel.
• Health insurance and campus fees for residential students, such as Boston University's student services and health and wellness fees.

On campus, housing and food can cost as much as tuition. Use the university's official cost of attendance, if it publishes one, for the full picture.

Paying for it: federal aid basics

Federal Student Aid explains that aid comes as grants, work-study, scholarships and loans, and that you apply for federal aid with the FAFSA form. A few points matter for data science students:

• Graduate students can receive Direct Unsubsidized Loans; Direct Subsidized Loans are available only to undergraduates with financial need. You must generally be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program at a participating school.
• Grad PLUS changes. Studentaid.gov states that beginning July 1, 2026, graduate students starting a new program, enrolling at a new school or borrowing for the first time for their program "won't be eligible for a graduate PLUS loan." Loan limits also changed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; check studentaid.gov for current limits.
• Not every program is eligible. CU Boulder states its MS-DS on Coursera "is not currently eligible for financial aid provided through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)." Ask each program before you count on federal loans.

Beyond federal aid, look for university scholarships, employer tuition benefits and, for PhD students, assistantships. An assistantship that exists is not a guarantee of funding. See our scholarships and funding page and funded PhD listings.

A quick checklist

1. Find the tuition basis: per credit, per term or whole program.
2. Note the academic year the rate applies to.
3. Multiply per-credit rates by required credits; multiply per-term rates by the number of terms.
4. Check whether you pay resident, nonresident or online rates.
5. Add mandatory fees, deposits and travel for any required attendance.
6. Confirm aid eligibility with the financial aid office.

To start with lower-cost options, browse affordable online master's programs, or put several programs side by side with our comparison tool. Always confirm current tuition on the university's website before you decide.