March 24, 2005 Laurel, Maryland

The Capitol College master of science degree in computer science has been awarded the “Best Buy” designation by GetEducated.com, an independent, online degree clearinghouse.

The degree program is the top-ranked independent college on GetEducated.com's Top 20 List of Best Buys. The site ranked the degree 10th overall.

“Working professionals typically choose an institution based on three criteria -- cost, quality and convenience,” said Ken Crockett, director of graduate admissions. “At less than $13,500, including textbooks, the master of science in computer science is a great deal. Students spend less of their income, and the real-time online approach at Capitol emulates the traditional classroom. Students benefit not only from lower tuition costs, but also from the quality and convenience associated with real-time learning and interaction.”

GetEducated.com surveyed only accredited distance-learning master's degrees in the computer science area. Surveying 44 regionally accredited options, GetEducated.com determined the average cost a student might expect to pay for an online master's in computer science.

“A Best Buy designation indicates that [Capitol College's] program has been found to offer a high quality distance degree to a national audience at tuition rates well below the national average,” the company stated. The degree program makes “quality education more accessible to all Americans through innovative delivery methods coupled with fiscally responsive practices.”

Total tuition for a computer science master's degree at Capitol College costs $12,300, about $6,000 less than the national average of $18,395, according to GetEducated.com.

The master of science in computer science at Capitol College is a 30-credit, 10-course degree program. Like all of Capitol's graduate-level degrees, the computer science program is offered entirely online, delivered using live audio.