Data science master’s programs combine statistics, programming, data management, and machine learning to help students turn large datasets into useful models and decisions. The programs below have been reviewed for a meaningful data science focus rather than a single related elective.
Our current inventory includes 44 master’s programs classified under data-science. Use the table to compare degree type, location, delivery format, tuition, and program length. Each school name links to a full program profile with curriculum, admissions, and cost details.
Data Science Master’s Programs
| School | Location | Degree | Format | Tuition | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State | Tempe, AZ | MS in Data Science with Bayesian Machine Learning | campus | $15,000 | 24 Months |
| Bradley University MS in Data Science and Analytics – Computational Data Science | Peoria, IL | MS in Data Science and Analytics – Computational Data Science | Campus | Est. $34,740 | |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | Master of Science in Data Science | campus | $71,520 | 2 years |
| Clarkson University MS in Applied Data Science | Potsdam, NY | MS in Applied Data Science | Online or Campus | Est. $37,656 | 3 semesters |
| College of Charleston | Charleston, SC | M.S. in Data Science and Analytics | campus | $19,800 | 2 Years |
| Elmhurst University MS in Data Science and Analytics | Elmhurst, IL | MS in Data Science and Analytics | Online or Campus | $27,600 | 21 months |
| Fitchburg State University MS in Computer Science – Data Science | Fitchburg, MA | MS in Computer Science – Data Science | Online or Campus | Est. $11,451 | 2 years |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers, FL | Master of Science in Data Analytics and AI | Hybrid | Approx $11.2K resident / $43.2K nonresident | About 1.5–2 years |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | Master of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | Campus | Approx $13.7K resident / $34.4K nonresident | 1 year full-time |
| Fordham University MS in Data Science | New York, NY | MS in Data Science | Campus | Est. $53,670 | 1–2 years |
| Georgia State University MSA in Data Science and Analytics – Big Data and Machine Learning | Atlanta, GA | MSA in Data Science and Analytics – Big Data and Machine Learning | Campus | $412 per credit | 3 semesters |
| Harvard University SM in Data Science | Cambridge, MA | SM in Data Science | Campus | Est. $101,256 | 3 semesters |
| Hofstra University MS in Data Science | Hempstead, NY | MS in Data Science | Campus | Est. $54,780 | |
| Indiana Wesleyan University | Marion, IN | Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence – Data Analytics | Online | Est. $17,700 tuition | 15–20 months |
| Manhattanville University MS in Data Analytics | Purchase, NY | MS in Data Analytics | Campus | Est. $32,700 | 1 year |
| Mercer University MS in Data Science | Atlanta, GA | MS in Data Science | Online | Est. $26,316 | 18–24 months |
| Michigan State University MS in Data Science | East Lansing, MI | MS in Data Science | Campus | $39,000 | 4 semesters |
| Michigan Technological University MS in Data Science | Houghton, MI | MS in Data Science | Campus | Est. $49,350 | |
| Montana State University | Bozeman, MT | M.S. in Data Science | campus | $13,141 resident | 2 years |
| New York University MS in Data Science | New York, NY | MS in Data Science | Campus | Est. $87,336 | 2 years |
| North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, NC | M.S. in Data Science and Engineering | Online | $303/credit in-state | 2–3 semesters |
| Northwestern University MS in Machine Learning and Data Science | Evanston, IL | MS in Machine Learning and Data Science | Campus | $23,662 per quarter | 15 months |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence | Online or Campus | $29,670 estimated total tuition | As little as 1 year |
| Ottawa University MS in Computer Science – AI and Machine Learning | Overland Park, KS | MS in Computer Science – AI and Machine Learning | Hybrid | ||
| Rice University | Houston, TX | MCS; Master of Data Science | Online or Campus | Est. $51,000–$76,800 | 12 months–3.5 years |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | online | $37,855 | 20 Months | |
| St. John’s University MS in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science | Queens, NY | MS in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science | Campus | Est. $51,150 | 18 months |
| SUNY Buffalo State University MS in Data Science and Analytics | Buffalo, NY | MS in Data Science and Analytics | Campus | Est. $14,130 | 15 months |
| SUNY Polytechnic Institute MS in Data Science and Analytics | Utica, NY | MS in Data Science and Analytics | Hybrid | Est. $15,543 | 4 semesters |
| Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | Computer Science MS: Machine Learning Track | campus | $23K | 2-2.5 years |
| Texas Woman’s University | Denton, TX | MS in Data Science and Informatics | Online or Hybrid | Est. $9,690 resident | 18 months |
| The City College of New York MS in Data Science and Engineering | New York, NY | MS in Data Science and Engineering | Campus | Est. $14,100–$16,500 | 2 years |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | MS in Information Science: Machine Learning | hybrid | $18,017 per semester | 18 months |
| University of Central Missouri | Warrensburg, MO | Master of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | Online, Hybrid, or Campus | Approx $17K | 18–24 months |
| University of Chicago MS in Applied Data Science | Chicago, IL | MS in Applied Data Science | Online or Campus | Est. $81,960 | 4–5 quarters |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Master of Computer Science | Urbana, IL | Master of Computer Science | Online or Campus | Est. $19,840 | 3 semesters on campus |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst MS in Computer Science | Amherst, MA | MS in Computer Science – Artificial Intelligence | Online, Hybrid, or Campus | $25,557 online | 4 semesters on campus |
| University of Michigan MS in Data Science | Ann Arbor, MI | MS in Data Science | Campus | $15,900 per term | 2 years |
| University of Montana | Missoula, MT | M.S. in Data Science | campus | $16K-$20K | 2 years |
| University of Rochester MS in Data Science | Rochester, NY | MS in Data Science | Campus | $71,488 | 2–3 semesters |
| University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX | MS in Data Science | Online or Campus | Est. $18,407 resident | 2 years |
| University of Texas at Dallas | Richardson, TX | MS in Computer Science | Campus | Est. $28,951 resident | 18–24 months |
| Western Michigan University MS in Intelligent Systems and Data Engineering | Kalamazoo, MI | MS in Intelligent Systems and Data Engineering | Est. $28,141 | ||
| Wichita State University MS in Data Science | Wichita, KS | MS in Data Science | Campus | Est. $11,038 |
What You Study in a Data Science Master’s
Data science programs usually combine mathematical foundations with practical computing. Common subjects include probability, statistics, data visualization, databases, programming, machine learning, data mining, optimization, and large-scale data analysis.
The balance varies by school. Some programs lean heavily into mathematics and statistical modeling. Others emphasize computer science, engineering applications, artificial intelligence, or production data systems. A degree with a strong machine learning component should include more than one isolated ML elective.
How Data Science and Machine Learning Overlap
Machine learning is one of the main technical areas inside modern data science. Data scientists often prepare and analyze data, select features, train predictive models, evaluate results, and communicate findings. Machine learning engineers usually place more emphasis on model development, software systems, deployment, and performance at scale.
For this directory, a data science program can also receive the machine-learning classification when the curriculum shows substantial ML coursework, a formal ML concentration, or required machine learning study. We do not classify programs from keyword mentions alone.
How to Compare Data Science Programs
Curriculum: Look for required statistics, programming, databases, and machine learning rather than a broad analytics degree with little technical depth.
Cost: Compare total tuition when the university publishes it. When it does not, compare the per-credit rate against the required credit total.
Format: Confirm whether the degree is online, mostly online, hybrid, or campus-based. Do not assume that individual online courses make the full degree online.
Length: Many full-time programs take about 12 to 24 months, but thesis work, prerequisites, and part-time enrollment can extend the timeline.
Applied work: A capstone, practicum, internship, project, or thesis can provide useful experience beyond coursework.
Who Is a Data Science Master’s Best For?
A data science master’s can fit students who want broad preparation across statistics, computing, machine learning, and data analysis. It can be especially useful for applicants who want flexibility between roles such as data scientist, machine learning analyst, analytics engineer, data engineer, or applied AI professional.
Students who want most of their graduate study devoted to neural networks, AI systems, computer vision, natural language processing, or machine learning theory may prefer a more specialized machine learning or artificial intelligence degree.