Best Artificial Intelligence Master's Degree Programs 2026

Best Artificial Intelligence Programs - Top 10 Master's — Complete Program Data

1. #1. Carnegie Mellon University Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks Carnegie Mellon University as the #1 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Pittsburgh, PA | Type: Private | Tuition: $62,260/year | Graduation Rate: 98% | Score: 100.0

   What makes Carnegie Mellon University stand out: CMU created the world's first bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence in 2018 and has led AI education and innovation since the field's inception, with the university being the birthplace of cognitive psychology and home to the first U.S. university robotics institute founded in 1979.

   Hakia Insight: Carnegie Mellon University leverages partnerships with NVIDIA and University of Pittsburgh to offer students real-world project experience valued by employers.

   Program Overview: Carnegie Mellon University pioneered artificial intelligence education, creating the world's first Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence in 2018 and establishing the nation's first computer science college in 1988. The university offers comprehensive AI education through multiple pathways: the groundbreaking undergraduate BSAI program housed in the School of Computer Science, and the innovative Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Innovation (MSAII) through the Language Technologies Institute. The MSAII program uniquely combines rigorous AI and machine learning curriculum with real-world entrepreneurship experience, requiring students to develop actual AI products through a four-semester journey culminating in a capstone project suitable for startup investment or corporate integration. Instruction spans six departments within the School of Computer Science - the Computer Science Department, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Language Technologies Institute, Machine Learning Department, Robotics Institute, and Software and Societal Systems Department. CMU's AI research tackles real-world challenges through initiatives like the Delphi Research Group (selected by the CDC as the Center for Innovation in Outbreak Analytics), the AI Institute for Societal Decision Making, and partnerships with NVIDIA for robotics and autonomy research. The university emphasizes AI for social good, with mandatory ethics coursework and applications spanning healthcare, transportation, education, and epidemic forecasting.

   Degree Programs: Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence (4 years); Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Innovation (MSAII) (2 years (4 semesters)); Additional Major in Artificial Intelligence (Concurrent with primary major); Minor in Artificial Intelligence (Concurrent with primary major)

   Research Labs: Computer Science Department - computer science; Human-Computer Interaction Institute - human-computer interaction; Language Technologies Institute - natural language processing; Machine Learning Department - machine learning; Robotics Institute - robotics; Software and Societal Systems Department - software and societal systems

   Industry Partners: NVIDIA, University of Pittsburgh, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Science Foundation, CDC

   Notable Faculty: Reid Simmons (Director of the BSAI program)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.0 minimum for MSAII | Acceptance Rate: Not specified

2. #2. University of Washington-Seattle Campus Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks University of Washington-Seattle Campus as the #2 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Seattle, WA | Type: Public | Tuition: $11,524/year | Graduation Rate: 97% | Score: 85.5

   What makes University of Washington-Seattle Campus stand out: UW's AI program uniquely focuses on applying artificial intelligence to engineering problems with physical constraints, featuring a stackable certificate structure that allows working engineers to customize their education while maintaining their careers.

   Hakia Insight: Students at University of Washington-Seattle Campus benefit from active collaborations with Boeing and Amazon, connecting classroom learning to the workforce.

   Program Overview: The University of Washington-Seattle Campus offers a distinctive Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Engineering through its College of Engineering, launching Fall 2026 with applications opening January 2026. This innovative program is specifically designed for working engineers who want to apply AI and ML methods to physical engineering problems like manufacturing, chemical processes, and robotics. The program features a unique stackable structure where students complete two graduate certificates plus an applied capstone project to earn their master's degree. Students begin with the required Graduate Certificate in AI & ML for Engineering, then choose from domain-specific certificates in areas like Data-Driven Dynamic Systems & Control, Modern AI Methods from the prestigious Paul G. Allen School, or Human Centered Artificial Intelligence. The program can be completed entirely online part-time or through a full-time option, making it exceptionally flexible for working professionals. The curriculum is bolstered by renowned faculty like Professor Steve Brunton, who directs the AI Center for Dynamics & Control and serves as a Data Science Fellow at the eScience Institute, and Professor Ashis Banerjee, who leads the SMARTS Lab and serves on the UW Amazon Science Hub advisory board.

   Degree Programs: MS in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Engineering (2-4 years)

   Research Labs: AI Center for Dynamics & Control - Data-driven discovery and control of complex dynamical systems; SMARTS Lab (Scale-independent Multimodal Automated Real Time Systems) - Automated decision-making for cyber-physical systems; H2 Lab - Foundational AI and Natural Language Processing for general-purpose AI algorithms; UW Reality Lab - Virtual and augmented reality technologies and applications

   Industry Partners: Boeing, Amazon, NVIDIA

   Career Outcomes:

   Notable Faculty: Steve Brunton (dimensionality reduction, sparse sensing, machine learning for data-driven discovery and control of complex dynamical systems); Ashis Banerjee (automated decision-making for cyber-physical systems, optimization, machine learning, autonomous robotics); Taylor Kessler Faulkner (AI, human-robot interaction, assistive robotics); Natasha Jaques; Hannaneh Hajishirzi

   Admissions: GPA: 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA

   Accreditations: ABET

3. #3. University of Southern California Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks University of Southern California as the #3 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Los Angeles, CA | Type: Private | Tuition: $66,640/year | Graduation Rate: 92% | Score: 80.0

   What makes University of Southern California stand out: USC created one of the first dedicated Master's in AI programs in the nation and pioneered the innovative joint AI for Business undergraduate degree, positioning students at the intersection of technical expertise and business acumen in Los Angeles' thriving tech ecosystem.

   Hakia Insight: Students at University of Southern California benefit from active collaborations with Amazon and Google, connecting classroom learning to the workforce.

   Program Overview: The University of Southern California stands as a national pioneer in artificial intelligence education, offering one of the first dedicated Master of Science in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) programs in the United States. This 32-unit program, housed within the prestigious Viterbi School of Engineering, provides rigorous training in deep learning theories and applications, covering machine learning, statistics, computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics. USC has gone beyond traditional offerings by creating innovative partnerships, including the groundbreaking joint BS in Artificial Intelligence for Business with the Marshall School of Business, demonstrating the university's commitment to interdisciplinary AI education. The program benefits from USC's robust research ecosystem, anchored by the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS), which focuses on AI for social good across environment, health and wellbeing, and homelessness initiatives. Students gain access to over 30 specialized research labs spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, robotics, and human-computer interaction. The curriculum balances theoretical foundations with practical applications, requiring core courses in algorithms, AI foundations, deep learning, machine learning, and web technologies, complemented by specialized electives in areas like multimodal learning, knowledge graphs, and AI ethics.

   Degree Programs: BS (4 years); MS; B.S. Program; M.S. Program; Ph.D. Program; Data Science Program; Graduate Certificate

   Research Labs: Affective Computing Group - Emotional AI and human-computer interaction; Automatic Coordination of Teams (ACT) Lab - Multi-agent coordination and teamwork; Center for Autonomy and AI - Autonomous systems and artificial intelligence; Center on Knowledge Graphs - Knowledge representation and graph-based reasoning; Cognitive Architecture - Cognitive modeling and architecture design; Cognitive Learning for Vision and Robotics Lab - Visual learning and robotic cognition; Collaboratory for Algorithmic Techniques and Artifical Intelligence (CATAI) - Algorithmic techniques and AI methods; Computational Social Science Laboratory - Social media analysis and computational social science; Data, Interpretability, Language and Learning (DILL) Lab - Interpretable AI and natural language processing; Intelligence and Knowledge Discovery (INK) Research Lab - Knowledge discovery and information extraction; Interactive and Collaborative Autonomous Robotic Systems (ICAROS) Lab - Human-robot interaction and collaborative robotics; Interaction Lab - Socially assistive robotics and human-robot interaction; Machine Learning and Data Mining Lab (Melady) - Machine learning algorithms and data mining; Natural Language Dialogue Group - Conversational AI and dialogue systems; USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society - AI applications for social good; AI Research Center of Excellence for Education (AIRCOEE) - AI applications in education and training

   Industry Partners: Amazon, Google, Uber, Microsoft

   Career Outcomes:

   Notable Faculty: Maja Matarić (Socially assistive robotics and human-robot interaction); Gaurav Sukhatme (Robotics and autonomous systems); Yolanda Gil (Artificial intelligence and knowledge systems); Jonathan Gratch (Virtual humans and computational psychology); Craig Knoblock (Information integration and knowledge graphs); David Kempe (Algorithms and machine learning theory); Laurent Itti (Computer vision and computational neuroscience); Bistra Dilkina (AI for social good and computational sustainability); Bill Swartout (AI systems and virtual humans)

   Admissions:

4. #4. University of Pennsylvania Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks University of Pennsylvania as the #4 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Philadelphia, PA | Type: Private | Tuition: $58,620/year | Graduation Rate: 100% | Score: 79.1

   What makes University of Pennsylvania stand out: Penn's AI program is distinguished by its unique emphasis on ethical AI training alongside technical excellence, housed within an Ivy League institution that pioneered breakthrough research like the first programmable chip for training neural networks using light and AI systems that discovered new antibiotics in ancient microbes.

   Hakia Insight: University of Pennsylvania's industry network — including Amazon Web Services and Google — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: The University of Pennsylvania's Artificial Intelligence program operates through the prestigious Raj and Neera Singh Program in Artificial Intelligence, representing one of the most comprehensive AI education initiatives in the Ivy League. Penn offers both undergraduate (B.S.E.) and graduate (M.S.E.) pathways, with the graduate program available entirely online for working professionals. The program uniquely blends technical rigor in machine learning, natural language processing, and deep learning with robust ethical training, preparing students to navigate AI's societal implications. What sets Penn apart is its integration across multiple world-class research centers including the ASSET Center for trustworthy AI, the Warren Center for Network and Data Sciences, and the IDEAS Center, creating an ecosystem where students work alongside faculty who are shaping the future of AI across industries from healthcare to finance.

   Degree Programs: Master of Science in Engineering in AI (MSE-AI) Online (Variable); Bachelor of Science in Engineering in AI (B.S.E.) (4 years)

   Research Labs: ASSET Center - AI-Enabled Systems: Safe, Explainable and Trustworthy; Warren Center for Network & Data Sciences - Network and data science research applications; IDEAS Center - Innovation in Data Engineering and Science; PRECISE Center - Penn Research In Embedded Computing and Integrated Systems Engineering; GRASP Lab - General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception

   Industry Partners: Amazon Web Services, Google

   Career Outcomes:

   Notable Faculty: George J. Pappas (UPS Foundation Professor of Transportation in Electrical and Systems Engineering, Director of the B.S.E. in AI Program); Chris Callison-Burch (Professor in Computer and Information Science, Director of the M.S.E. in AI Online Program); Rajeev Alur (Zisman Family Professor in Computer and Information Science, Founding Director of ASSET Center); Michael Kearns (National Center Professor of Management & Technology in Computer and Information Science); René Vidal (Rachleff University Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering, Director of IDEAS Initiative); Paris Perdikaris (Associate Professor, developed Aurora AI model for weather prediction)

   Admissions:

5. #5. Northwestern University Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks Northwestern University as the #5 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Evanston, IL | Type: Private | Tuition: $64,887/year | Graduation Rate: 90% | Score: 71.0

   What makes Northwestern University stand out: Northwestern pioneered the integration of AI with business leadership through the MBAi program and maintains one of the most comprehensive AI education ecosystems in higher education, spanning from undergraduate minors to executive education, with specialized research centers collaborating directly with Underwriters Laboratories and Argonne National Laboratory.

   Hakia Insight: Students at Northwestern University benefit from active collaborations with Flexcompute and Sony PlayStation, connecting classroom learning to the workforce.

   Program Overview: Northwestern University offers a comprehensive AI education ecosystem spanning undergraduate through executive levels across multiple schools. The flagship Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence, housed in the McCormick School of Engineering, is a professionally-focused 15-month program that caps enrollment at just 45 students annually to ensure personalized attention. The program emphasizes practical application with industry capstone projects and partnerships with engineering's MS AI students. Northwestern's AI offerings extend far beyond this core program, including the innovative MBAi joint degree between Kellogg Business School and McCormick Engineering, specialized AI tracks in data science and information systems through the School of Professional Studies, and extensive undergraduate options like AI minors and data science majors. The university's approach integrates technical depth with real-world application, supported by over 15 specialized research centers including the Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI), the Center for Deep Learning, and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.

   Degree Programs: Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (15 months); MBAi Program (20 months (5 quarters)); MS in Data Science with AI Specialization (varies); MS in Information Systems with AI Specialization (varies); PhD in Computer Science (4-6 years); Advanced Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence (varies)

   Research Labs: Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI) - Safety in machine intelligence systems in collaboration with Underwriters Laboratories Inc.; Center for Deep Learning (CDL) - Industry partnerships for AI proof of concept and deployment; Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (I.AIM) - Six-center institute bridging computational methods with medical expertise; Artificial Intelligence Group - Machine learning, cognitive modeling, language understanding, robotics, computational journalism; Machine Learning and Language (MLL) Lab - Intelligent language models that reason, plan, and interact with the physical world; Center for Optimization and Statistical Learning (OSL) - AI systems creation through optimization and statistical learning methods

   Industry Partners: Flexcompute, Sony PlayStation, Deloitte, McDonald's, Annalect, Mayo Clinic, Amazon Web Services, Bain Capital Ventures, TikTok

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Sony PlayStation, Deloitte, Mayo Clinic, Amazon Web Services, TikTok, Bain Capital Ventures | Common Roles: Marketing Manager, Machine Learning Engineer, Prompt Engineer, Data Scientist, AI Engineer

   Notable Faculty: Kris Hammond (Program Director, AI systems); Mohammed Alam (AI theoretical and practical applications)

   Admissions:

6. #6. Northeastern University Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks Northeastern University as the #6 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Boston, MA | Type: Private | Tuition: $62,000/year | Score: 69.5

   What makes Northeastern University stand out: Northeastern's AI program uniquely combines the nation's #1-ranked co-op system with the Institute for Experiential AI, positioning it as an institutional leader in human-centric and responsible AI development while offering the only interdisciplinary program that spans both computer science and engineering applications.

   Hakia Insight: Northeastern University's industry network — including Amazon and Ford — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: Northeastern University's MS in Artificial Intelligence stands as one of the most comprehensive interdisciplinary AI programs in the nation, jointly offered by the prestigious Khoury College of Computer Sciences and the College of Engineering. This dynamic 32-credit program spans 2-2.5 years and uniquely combines technical mastery with ethical AI development, offering five distinct concentrations: machine learning, robotics and agent-based systems, computer vision, energy systems, and continuous process engineering. Students dive deep into foundational AI algorithms while gaining hands-on experience through Northeastern's renowned co-op program, ranked #1 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, with partnerships spanning Amazon, Ford, Goldman Sachs, and the U.S. Soccer Federation. What truly distinguishes this program is its emphasis on 'human-centric and responsible AI' through the Institute for Experiential AI, where students work on real-world challenges like speech impairment solutions, climate vulnerability assessments, and bias detection in financial services. The curriculum goes beyond traditional AI education by integrating ethics coursework and requiring students to build AI systems that solve actual problems across industries, from healthcare and energy to manufacturing and autonomous systems.

   Degree Programs: MS in Artificial Intelligence (2-2.5 years); MS in Artificial Intelligence - Align (2.5 years)

   Research Labs: Relational Agents Group - AI-based tools for behavioral health care simulations and virtual agents; Lab for Learning and Planning in Robotics - Robotics, AI, and machine learning with planning and reinforcement learning; Cognitive Embodied Social Agents Research (CESAR) - Cognitive and social agent research; NEURAI Lab - Neural AI research; Helping Hands Lab - Robotic assistance and manipulation; Signal Processing and Artificial Intelligence for Time Variant Health Data (SATH) Lab - Health data analysis using AI and signal processing; Databases (DATA Lab) - Data management and database systems; Game User Interaction And Intelligence Lab (GUII) - AI in gaming and user interaction; Spatiotemporal Learning Group - Machine learning for spatial and temporal data; Northeastern Natural Language Processing Research Group - Natural language processing and computational linguistics

   Industry Partners: Amazon, Ford, Goldman Sachs, Roche/Genentech, U.S. Soccer Federation, Maine Health

   Career Outcomes:

   Notable Faculty: Dr. Tina Eliassi-Rad (Data mining, machine learning, and network science); Dr. Usama Fayyad (Data science, machine learning, AI, and data mining); Dr. Christopher Amato (Robotics, AI, and machine learning in multi-agent systems); Dr. Yun Raymond Fu (AI, machine learning, data mining, and computer vision); Dr. Ehsan Elhamifar (Computer vision and AI learning from visual data); Dr. David Bau (Human-computer interaction and machine learning interpretability)

   Admissions:

7. #7. University of San Diego Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks University of San Diego as the #7 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: San Diego, CA | Type: Private | Tuition: $55,690/year | Graduation Rate: 97% | Score: 68.4

   What makes University of San Diego stand out: USD's MS-AAI program is recognized as one of the nation's only 100% online master's in artificial intelligence programs, uniquely integrating ethics, social good, and moral responsibility across the entire curriculum while maintaining a balance between technical skills and practical business applications.

   Program Overview: The University of San Diego offers a fully online Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MS-AAI), a 30-unit program that can be completed in just 20 months across five semesters. Under the direction of Dr. Ebrahim Tarshizi, this innovative program was developed in close collaboration with key industry and government stakeholders to provide in-depth practical and technical training. Students take two courses per semester in an accelerated format, focusing on one 7-week course at a time, with rolling admissions offering three start dates annually (spring, summer, and fall). The program distinguishes itself through a significant emphasis on real-world applications, ethics, moral responsibility, and social good in designing AI-enabled systems, culminating in a comprehensive capstone project that pairs students with instructors and potential industry partners.

   Degree Programs: MS in Applied Artificial Intelligence (20 months)

   Admissions: GPA: 2.75 minimum for STEM degrees | Acceptance Rate: Not specified

8. #8. Brandeis University Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks Brandeis University as the #8 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Waltham, MA | Type: Private | Tuition: $64,348/year | Graduation Rate: 99% | Score: 67.8

   What makes Brandeis University stand out: Brandeis combines small program sizes that ensure individualized faculty mentoring with proximity to Boston's tech corridor, while offering unique interdisciplinary opportunities like computational linguistics and emerging research in AI bias and cybersecurity policy through specialized institutes.

   Hakia Insight: Brandeis University graduates earn $80,760, driven by the program's industry connections and hands-on artificial intelligence curriculum.

   Program Overview: Brandeis University's Michtom School of Computer Science offers a comprehensive 9-course Master of Science in Computer Science designed for students who already hold an undergraduate degree in computer science. This 3-semester, 36-credit program provides in-depth exposure to cutting-edge areas including distributed computing, big data, machine learning, and computational linguistics. The school also offers specialized tracks like the Master of Science in Computational Linguistics, which bridges AI and language processing. What sets Brandeis apart is its intimate scale - the graduate programs are deliberately small, ensuring individualized attention while maintaining rigorous interdisciplinary training that's become a hallmark of the university. Students benefit from proximity to Boston's thriving tech scene, with companies like Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon offering research, internship, and career opportunities just minutes away.

   Degree Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science (4 years); Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (4 years); Master of Science in Computer Science (2 years); Master of Science in Computer Science for Non-Majors (2 years); PhD in Computer Science (4-6 years); Master of Science in Business Analytics with AI Concentration (12-16 months); Master of Science in Business Analytics (Online) (17-20 months); 5-year Bachelor's/Master's Program (5 years)

   Research Labs: Core Machine Learning Lab - Machine learning and AI-assisted applications including consensus clustering, constrained clustering, and data-centric learning; Multilingual Language Processing Lab - Natural language processing and computational linguistics across multiple languages; Brandeis Visual Analytics Laboratory - Visual encodings for data science and interpretable AI interfaces; Dynamical & Evolutionary Machine Organization Lab - Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, artificial life, and evolutionary robotics; Smart and Scalable Data Systems Lab - Data systems that self-adapt and protect privacy by design; Brandeis Autonomous Robotics Teaching Laboratory - Robotics theory and practice with Campus Rover navigation project; Computational Systems Biology Group - Computational methods for understanding biological networks

   Industry Partners: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Dell EMC, Uber, BBN Technologies

   Career Outcomes: Placement Rate: 90% | Top Employers: The Knot Worldwide, IMF, Takeda, Washington University in St. Louis | Common Roles: Data Scientist, Research Analyst, Statistical Data Analyst, Senior Marketing Operations Analyst

   Notable Faculty: Hongfu Liu (Machine learning and artificial intelligence-assisted applications); Nianwen Xue (Natural language processing and computational linguistics); Dylan Cashman (Visual analytics and interpretable AI interfaces); Jordan Pollack (Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and artificial life); Subhadeep Sarkar (Data systems and privacy-aware computing); Pito Salas (Robotics and autonomous systems)

   Admissions:

9. #9. University of North Texas Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

   Hakia ranks University of North Texas as the #9 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: Denton, TX | Type: Public | Tuition: $8,319/year | Graduation Rate: 70% | Score: 65.0

   What makes University of North Texas stand out: UNT offers Texas's only standalone Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence degree, combining cutting-edge research at the 300-acre Discovery Park facility with the career advantages of being located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex's massive tech corridor.

   Hakia Insight: University of North Texas's industry network — including Texas Instruments and Toyota — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: The University of North Texas offers a comprehensive Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence through its College of Engineering, representing the only standalone MS in AI degree in the state of Texas. This 33-credit hour program can be completed in 2-3 years and is available both on-campus at UNT's Discovery Park research facility and fully online, providing exceptional flexibility for working professionals. The program features three distinct concentration areas: Machine Learning, Biomedical Engineering, and Autonomous Systems, allowing students to tailor their studies to specific career interests. Students engage with cutting-edge research across 11 specialized areas including computer vision, natural language processing, cybersecurity, and materials design. What sets UNT's AI program apart is its interdisciplinary approach and strong research foundation, with over 30 faculty members and more than 100 PhD students driving AI research across multiple departments. The program is housed at Discovery Park, a 300-acre research facility featuring state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, located just five miles from the main campus. Students have access to bridge courses like 'Software Development for Artificial Intelligence' and 'Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence' to build necessary programming foundations, while core courses dive deep into machine learning, deep learning, big data, and feature engineering. The program's location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, home to the nation's fourth-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies, provides unparalleled internship and career opportunities.

   Degree Programs: MS in Artificial Intelligence (2-3 years); Combined BS/MS Computer Science and AI (5-6 years); Graduate Academic Certificate in AI (1 year)

   Research Labs: Applied Artificial Intelligence Research - 11 specialized research areas including autonomous vehicles, bioinformatics, computer vision, cybersecurity, and natural language processing; Discovery Park Research Facility - State-of-the-art instructional facilities and laboratories with cutting-edge research equipment

   Industry Partners: Texas Instruments, Toyota, PepsiCo, IBM

   Career Outcomes: | Common Roles: Data Scientists, Software Engineers, Machine Learning Engineers, AI Engineers

   Admissions:

   Accreditations: STEM-designated

10. #10. San Jose State University Master's Artificial Intelligence Program

    Hakia ranks San Jose State University as the #10 master's in artificial intelligence degree program. Location: San Jose, CA | Type: Public | Tuition: $5,742/year | Graduation Rate: 100% | Score: 64.8

    What makes San Jose State University stand out: SJSU's Silicon Valley location and deep industry partnerships create a uniquely practical pipeline from coursework directly into competitive AI engineering roles at major tech firms.

    Hakia Insight: San Jose State University's direct partnerships with Google and Intel give students a competitive edge through industry-embedded projects and recruiting pipelines.

    Program Overview: SJSU's computer science program benefits directly from its Silicon Valley location, where students gain internship and networking opportunities at leading AI companies integrated into the curriculum itself. The school offers specialized courses in machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, and data mining, with faculty who actively consult for industry—bringing cutting-edge techniques and real project challenges into the classroom. The capstone and senior design projects often partner with tech companies, allowing students to work on AI problems they'd encounter in their first industry roles. Graduates from SJSU are well-known in the Valley's hiring pipelines, particularly at companies like Google, Intel, Apple, and Cisco, where many alumni hold senior technical positions. The program strikes a practical balance: solid theoretical foundations paired with immediate industry relevance. Students benefit from a large, collaborative peer network and the constant influx of visiting engineers and recruiters on campus. SJSU's reputation in the Valley makes the degree a direct pathway to well-compensated ML and AI roles.

    Degree Programs: BS in Computer Science (AI/ML focus) (4 years); MS in Computer Science (AI/ML track) (2 years)

    Industry Partners: Google, Intel, Apple, Cisco, Nvidia

    Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Google, Intel, Apple, Cisco, Nvidia, Amazon | Common Roles: Machine Learning Engineer, Software Engineer, Data Scientist, AI Systems Engineer

    Admissions:

    Accreditations: ABET accredited