10 Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Degree Programs in the U.S. 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a fast-growing field. Today, many of the best colleges in the U.S. offer AI degree programs. These artificial intelligence colleges train students to use, develop, and tweak AI for a variety of purposes.

Artificial intelligence degree programs are available at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Keep reading to discover some of the best colleges for artificial intelligence degrees.

Best Artificial Intelligence Majors

Artificial intelligence degree programs prepare students to work in the cutting-edge fields of AI and machine learning. Below, we've featured some of the absolute best schools for artificial intelligence in the U.S.

Note that, while many prestigious Ivy League institutions offer excellent artificial intelligence degree programs, we've chosen to select other colleges and universities across the United States that have higher acceptance rates and provide high-quality, accredited degree programs.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University is a private research institution in Pittsburgh. It offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS) in artificial intelligence through its School of Computer Science. The esteemed university has been at the forefront of AI research since the 1950s. It has special focus areas in computational neuroscience, machine learning, and robotics, and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

Students in the undergraduate degree program receive a solid foundation in math, statistics, and computer science, and also take courses on topics like natural language processing and machine learning. Tuition for undergraduate students averages $63,829 per year.

The Master of Science in artificial intelligence and innovation program combines a rigorous AI and machine learning curriculum with real-world team experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. Graduate tuition is roughly $48,496 per year.

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence and decision making is available through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This interdisciplinary program covers topics such as:

• algorithms
• data science
• machine learning
• programming

MIT, a private research university, is located in Cambridge, MA, and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Through its electrical engineering and computer science department, it also offers several graduate programs in AI-related fields.

The department has a robust research program and offers research opportunities in areas like AI and society, artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer vision, and robotics. Its educational mission is to provide students with the strong mathematical and algorithmic foundations needed to build robust systems that can extrapolate from data to insights and decisions. Undergradaute students have a tuition rate of about $60,156 per year.

3. Stanford University

Stanford University offers both a BS and an MS in computer science with options to choose specializations in artificial intelligence. The private research institution is based in Stanford, CA, and is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WASCUC).

Both programs cover the basic principles and techniques of artificial intelligence. They also include courses on deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. The BS requires a capstone senior project, while the MS allows students to choose between a research requirement or a teaching requirement. Tution for bachelor's degrees is $62,484 per year, while tuition for graduate degrees is $58,746 per year.

The Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) has been a center of excellence for Artificial Intelligence research, teaching, theory, and practice since its founding in 1963. It includes research projects on natural language processing, computer vision and learning, and machine learning.

4. University of California, Berkeley

A joint BS and MS degree in electrical engineering and computer science is available at the University of California, Berkeley. This five-year program requires students to complete a research project in one of the school's research areas, one of which is artificial intelligence.

UC Berkeley, located in Berkeley, CA, is the flagship campus of the University of California system. Its Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research (BAIR) Lab brings together UC Berkeley researchers across the areas of computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, planning, control, and robotics.

In addition to the joint BS and MS degree, the university also offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA), MS, and PhD in computer science. The graduate programs allow for a specialization in artificial intelligence.

UC Berkeley is accredited by the WASCUC. In-state students have a tuition rate of $14,850 per year for undergraduate programs and $12,264 per year for graduate programs.

5. University of Washington

The University of Washington is a public research university in Seattle. It offers an artificial intelligence master's degree program as well as a Bachelor of Science in electrical and computer engineering with an optional pathway in machine learning. The MS is available fully online.

Both programs are offered through the College of Engineering, which also offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in computer science that include machine learning and AI courses. The College of Engineering is home to the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering.

Researchers at the Allen School are at the forefront of exciting developments in AI spanning machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, robotics, and more. Students can take advantage of research labs and groups covering a variety of AI-related topics.

The University of Washington holds accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). In-state residents have an estimated tuition cost of $12,643 per year for undergrad programs and $17,514 for grad programs.

6. University of Michigan

Students at the University of Michigan can earn a Bachelor of Science in computer science. While this degree doesn't have any pre-established concentrations, it allows students to create their own concentration in intelligent systems by choosing electives on topics like computer vision, machine learning, robotics, and, of course, AI.

The College of Engineering also offers computer science programs at the master's and doctoral levels, and artificial intelligence is one of the primary themes within the college. These programs give students an opportunity to participate in AI research projects.

AI research at the University of Michigan comprises a multidisciplinary group of researchers conducting theoretical, experimental, and applied investigations of intelligent systems. Current projects include research in rational decision making, machine learning, reinforcement learning, cognitive modeling, natural language processing, machine perception, healthcare computing, and robotics.

The University of Michigan, a public research institution, is located in Ann Arbor, MI, and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). In-state tuition for undergraduate students is about $17,228 per year, and for graduate students is about $27,192 per year.

7. University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin offers a Bachelor of Science in computer science with a concentration in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Available through the College of Natural Sciences, this concentration teaches students to program computer systems to ''learn'' from data and perform complex tasks normally associated with human-level intelligence.

UT Austin also offers an online master's in artificial intelligence. This online AI degree covers a range of highly sought after skills to prepare students to lead AI innovations across a variety of industries.

The public research university is the flagship campus of the University of Texas System. It's home to several AI research initiatives, including the Center for Generative AI and the Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning.

UT Austin charges a tuition rate of about $11,678 per year for undergraduate in-state students and $12,012 per year for graduate residents. It's accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

A BS and MS in computer science are available at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The public research university is located in Atlanta, but the MS is available online as well as on campus. Georgia Tech is accredited by the SACSCOC.

The BS program offers a ''thread'' (concentration) in intelligence, which includes courses on data science, robotics, machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing. Tuition for in-state students is $11,764 per year.

The master's program offers a few specializations that may be of interest to those wanting to study AI, including computational perception and robotics, interactive intelligence, and machine learning. Tuition for resident students is $14,064 per year.

One of the key research areas within Georgia Tech's School of Computer Science is the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence. It focuses on the development of algorithms that leverage data and statistical tools to solve complex human tasks, to explore novel applications of such tools, and to better understand the apparent success of AI in practice

9. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public research institution in Champaign, IL. It offers a BS and an MS in computer science, both with options to focus on AI.

In the BS program, students can choose a focus in intelligence and big data, which includes courses on AI, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, and more. The master's degree is research-oriented, and students can choose to complete their thesis research in any of the 11 different areas offered by the college, including artificial intelligence.

These AI degree programs are bolstered by the vast amount of research that UIUC does into AI. Their research projects include the Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation and the Deep Learning Major Research Instrument Project.

UIUC is accredited by the HLC. It charges in-state students about $16,004 per year for undergraduate programs and $15,545 per year for graduate programs.

10. University of California, Los Angeles

A Bachelor of Science in computer engineering is available through the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. It allows students to choose a track in networked embedded systems, which tackles topics like robotics and machine learning. Tuition is about $13,747 per year for in-state students.

It also offers a Master of Engineering with a concentration in artificial intelligence. This concentration features courses on neural networks, deep learning, natural language processing, machine learning, and more. Tuition for in-state students is around $12,264 per year.

UCLA is the Los Angeles campus of the University of California system and is accredited by the WASCUC. It runs several labs that have artificial intelligence programs, including the Center for Vision, Cognition, Learning, and Autonomy and the Statistical and Relational Artificial Intelligence (StarAI) Lab.

How We Rank Schools

To choose the best schools for artificial intelligence above, we focused on:

• Accreditation: All schools hold regional accreditation.
• Type: The top schools listed above are all four-year schools that are either public or private nonprofit.
• AI degree programs: We looked for schools that offered a degree for artificial intelligence or degrees in related fields, like computer science, that provided the option to focus on AI.
• Reputation: We focused on schools that didn't just offer artificial intelligence degrees but also have extensive AI research programs and a reputation for their contributions to the field of AI.

FAQs About AI Degree Programs

Below, we've answered some frequently asked questions about degrees for artificial intelligence and AI colleges.

Is a Degree in AI Worth It?

One of the biggest fears is that AI will replace modern workers. But there will always be a need for those who program and work with AI, which makes AI a strong field to go into. An AI degree salary, such as being a data scientist, can be over $100,000 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Choosing a low-cost school can make your AI degree worth even more. With financial aid, you may qualify for free AI degrees.

How Hard Is an AI Degree?

How hard an AI degree is will depend on how adept you are at working with technology and computers. The coursework for AI degrees can be quite complex and challenging, but many have a knack for algorithms and data science who don't find it all that hard.

Are There Online AI Degrees?

Some of the best schools for artificial intelligence, like the University of Washington, University of Texas at Austin, and Georgia Tech, offer AI programs online. However, you're more likely to find online artificial intelligence master's degree programs than bachelor's degrees.

What Is the Most In-Demand AI Job?

Several AI jobs are currently in demand across the U.S. These include:

• AI engineer
• AI researcher
• machine learning engineer
• data scientist
• robotics engineer
• computer vision engineer

Note that some roles may require you to earn a graduate degree or obtain certifications in areas of technology or computer sciences.

Explore Degrees in Artificial Intelligence

Find the perfect AI college by exploring the programs featured on Learn.org. Reach out to individual colleges to learn more about admissions, financial aid, and more.