Data science is an interdisciplinary field combining computer science, mathematics, and statistics. It remains in demand in the United States: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for data scientists to grow 34% from 2024 to 2034. This makes it a practical path for students considering higher education in the country.
For students planning to study data science in the U.S., here is a selected list of schools you can check. These schools offer data science programs, pathways, or related study options for international students.
Top Schools Offering Data Science in the United States
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT currently enrolls about 11,800 degree students and has more than 1,000 faculty members. MIT also has 20 residence halls, including undergraduate and graduate residential communities.
At MIT, the schools and colleges include the School of Architecture and Planning, School of Engineering, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, MIT Sloan School of Management, School of Science, and MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.
MIT’s Statistics and Data Science Center offers data science-related academic programs and supports advanced research. It was created in 2015 to formalize and consolidate MIT’s work in statistics, and its academic mission is to host and develop programs from the undergraduate minor to the Ph.D. level. MIT also offers the Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science through Course 6-14.
2. Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, more commonly known as Stanford University, is a private research university in California. Founded in 1885, it welcomed its first students in 1891. It has seven schools: the Graduate School of Business, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Graduate School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford Law School, and School of Medicine.
Stanford Data Science supports a variety of data science educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, including introductory workshops, undergraduate and master’s programs with strong data science components, Ph.D. programs with data science emphases, and training programs. Stanford’s Program in Data Science currently includes a B.S. in Data Science and a B.A. in Data Science & Social Systems, while the Department of Statistics offers an M.S. in Statistics and Data Science.
3. New York University
Known as one of the largest private universities in the United States, New York University was founded in 1831 and offers several data science study options. With its various schools and colleges, NYU offers a large number of course offerings to its students.
NYU’s Center for Data Science was established in 2013 to support the university’s goal of creating a data science training and research facility. The center launched its M.S. in Data Science in 2013, introduced its Ph.D. program in 2017, and launched its undergraduate program in 2019. Today, NYU offers an undergraduate data science major, an M.S. in Data Science, a Ph.D. in Data Science, and non-degree options.
4. Columbia University
Another Ivy League research university is Columbia University. It was founded in 1754 as King’s College by royal charter of King George II. The institution is located in New York City and is the oldest higher education institution in New York State and the fifth oldest in the United States.
The university’s Data Science Institute was founded in 2012 and became a university-wide institute by 2017. It currently has 10 research centers and working groups. The institute offers interdisciplinary graduate data science programs with part-time, full-time, and online study options, including the M.S. in Data Science, Ph.D. Specialization in Data Science, and Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences.
5. University of Washington
The University of Washington offers data science education across more than one campus in Washington State. Its professional Master of Science in Data Science is based at Seattle, while the university’s general catalog separately identifies a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Data Science at UW Tacoma. These campus distinctions are important when comparing programs.
The Tacoma bachelor’s degree is formally named Statistics and Data Science. At Seattle, the Statistics bachelor’s also includes a Data Science track, which is a pathway within a broader statistics qualification. Applicants should distinguish the Tacoma major from Seattle’s track and confirm the campus attached to their intended application.
The Seattle MS in Data Science normally takes 1.5 years full-time or approximately 2.5 years part-time, with evening classes. Its eight core courses and two-quarter capstone cover statistical modeling, data management, machine learning, visualization, software engineering, ethics, and research design. The capstone addresses an external organization’s data science problem. Electrical and Computer Engineering also offers a formal Data Science Option within its master’s and PhD programs; this is an option within those degrees, rather than a separate Data Science doctorate.
What Current Students / Alumni of University of Washington Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Data Science Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Maria Paula Cortes-Lemos
M.S. in Computational Linguistics
Research focus: machine learning | Joined a laboratory where colleagues enthusiastically helped her learn machine learning, which became her research area, and learned from people across departments. She cautions that many graduate opportunities require students to seek them out rather than expect them to be built into the curriculum. | Found Seattle a beautiful place to build a community and describes substantial personal growth during her time there. |
6. Yale University
Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University is an Ivy League research university. Yale traces its roots to the 1640s, and in 1701, the Connecticut legislature adopted a charter to establish a Collegiate School. The university has a diverse student community, with international students representing 129 countries.
Yale’s Department of Statistics and Data Science began as the Department of Statistics in 1963. Today, the department offers an undergraduate major leading to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, as well as graduate programs leading to M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees.
7. The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, offers data science-related study through its Data Analytics major and Translational Data Analytics Institute. Its programs combine computing and statistics with disciplinary applications, while the graduate translational approach also emphasizes design thinking and communicating analytical results to people who use them.
The undergraduate Data Analytics major leads to a Bachelor of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students study an interdisciplinary curriculum and select a specialization such as Computational Analytics, Business Analytics, or Biomedical and Public Health Analytics. The Computational Analytics route covers areas including machine learning, text and graph analytics, large-scale data architectures, and cloud computing.
The online Master of Translational Data Analytics requires 33 credits and is designed for working professionals from varied academic backgrounds. Its teaching connects statistics and machine learning with user experience, data visualization, and practical projects. During the final two semesters, students work in teams on a workforce-focused capstone. Related doctoral study includes Mathematics with scientific computing and data science among its research areas,.
What Current Students / Alumni of The Ohio State University Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Data Science Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Syed Murtaza Arshad
Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research focus: medical image processing and machine learning | Conducts research in cardiac MRI reconstruction, connecting his foundations in signal processing, linear algebra, probability, statistics, and machine learning. He found his doctoral opportunity through a professor’s recruitment post shared by a colleague and secured advisor support following an interview. | — |
8. Michigan State University
Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, offers dedicated undergraduate and graduate degrees in Data Science. Its programs bring together computational mathematics, computer science, and statistics, allowing students to connect data analysis with mathematical modeling and applications across scientific and professional fields.
The Bachelor of Science in Data Science requires 120 credits. The curriculum emphasizes computational techniques, statistical thinking, data manipulation, visualization, and the interpretation of complex datasets. Students can select upper-level coursework to align their studies with particular interests and career goals. The program also includes a writing requirement fulfilled through Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering coursework.
The Master of Science in Data Science is a 30-credit, non-thesis program combining statistics, computing, computational science, and mathematics. Required subjects include Foundations of Data Science, Computational Optimization, Big Data Analysis, and Data Mining. For research beyond the master’s level, the university offers a broader PhD in Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering, including original research in computational and data science.
What Current Students / Alumni of Michigan State University Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Data Science Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Mahnoor Sheikh
Master’s in Data Science | Describes coursework combining foundational statistics and data analysis with advanced electives in machine learning and statistics. She reports a balance between theory and practice, with an industry-oriented capstone included in the program. | — |
9. Rice University
Rice University in Houston, Texas, offers a professional Master of Data Science administered by its Department of Computer Science. Undergraduate data science education is coordinated through the Data to Knowledge Lab and Department of Statistics, creating a separate route for students who want analytical training alongside another major.
At undergraduate level, Rice’s Data Science offering is a minor rather than a dedicated bachelor’s major. The university also offers bachelor’s degrees in Statistics and Computer Science as related academic routes. The Data Science minor is accessible to students across the university, but it supplements their main degree and should not be counted as an additional bachelor’s qualification.
The on-campus Master of Data Science is a 31-semester-hour, non-thesis degree completed over three consecutive semesters. Its specialization choices include Artificial Intelligence, Business Analytics, and Energy Transition and Sustainability. Rice also offers an online route leading to the same MDS qualification, with students admitted directly to their chosen delivery format. Doctoral study is available through broader programs such as Computer Science and Statistics.
What Current Students / Alumni of Rice University Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Data Science Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Juan Hevia
Master of Science in Data Science | Conducted research at the intersection of AI and education and found that demanding courses connected data science and machine learning theory with real-world applications. He valued close interaction with professors and research communities and strengthened his ability to evaluate data-driven approaches. | Appreciated an international environment where he regularly learned from people with different backgrounds and perspectives. |
10. University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, offers data-focused degrees at undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. Its Bachelor of Science in Data Science brings together Computer Science and the School of Data, Mathematical, and Statistical Sciences, while graduate programs connect statistical methods with large-scale computational analysis.
The undergraduate Data Science degree emphasizes algorithm design, programming, data acquisition, management, mining, analysis, and interpretation. Its focus is the technical development of algorithms and computerized systems that help uncover information in large datasets. This is a full bachelor’s degree in the subject, distinct from an optional concentration or certificate.
The Master of Science in Statistics and Data Science includes a Data Science track requiring at least 36 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Students complete either a thesis or a research project with additional coursework under the published requirements. The Big Data Analytics PhD provides a separate doctoral route covering predictive analytics, data mining, text analytics, statistical analysis, and statistical computing. Its applications extend to business, social, and health problems while combining statistics with computer science.
What Current Students / Alumni of University of Central Florida Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Data Science Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Yusra Ahmed
Master’s in Computer Vision | Describes developing intelligent systems during her computer vision studies. She found the combination of coursework, active research, and access to experienced faculty rewarding, highlighting the program’s connection to the Center for Research in Computer Vision. | Enjoyed campus events, student organizations, and exchanging cultures with international classmates. Pakistani and Muslim student associations helped her maintain cultural connections and adjust to life in the United States. |
In summary, international students can benefit from enrolling in the United States, as it is a major hub for higher education. Universities such as Stanford, MIT, Yale, Columbia, and NYU offer data science programs or related pathways that can help students prepare for careers in this growing field. Take your chances for a quality education and choose the university you think is best for you!
We hope this article on universities for Data Science in the US was helpful. If you are interested, explore Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for International Students!
