Computer Information Systems
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Types of Degrees Computer Information Systems Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many computer information systems graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 18,992 |
Doctor’s Degree | 984 |
Graduate Certificate | 772 |
What Computer Information Systems Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, CIS majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for CIS Majors
CIS majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Skills for CIS Majors
A major in CIS prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for CIS Majors
A major in CIS will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Computer Information Systems Major?
People with a CIS degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Computer and Information Research Scientists | 19.0% | $118,370 |
Computer and Information Systems Managers | 12.0% | $142,530 |
Computer Network Architects | 6.5% | $109,020 |
Computer Science Professors | 8.1% | $82,220 |
Computer Systems Analysts | 9.1% | $88,740 |
Database Administrators | 11.5% | $90,070 |
Informatics Nurse Specialists | 9.1% | $88,740 |
Information Security Analysts | 28.5% | $98,350 |
Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 6.1% | $82,050 |
Software Developers, Applications | 30.7% | $103,620 |
Software Developers, Systems Software | 11.1% | $110,000 |
Software Quality Assurance Engineers and Testers | 9.3% | $90,270 |
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists | 6.5% | $109,020 |
Web Administrators | 9.3% | $90,270 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Computer Information Systems?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of CIS majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 1,878 |
Black or African American | 939 |
Hispanic or Latino | 732 |
White | 4,276 |
International Students | 10,172 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 995 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in CIS, too. About 53.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- India
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- Nepal
- South Korea
How Much Do Computer Information Systems Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a master’s degree in CIS have a median salary of $72,917 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $59,762 (25th percentile) and $90,793 (75th percentile).
We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to CIS so take that into consideration.
Salaries According to BLS
CIS majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $93,350 to $114,000 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Computer Information Systems
Some degrees associated with CIS may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for CIS careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 1.1% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 4.9% |
Some College Courses | 5.2% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 10.6% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 51.3% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 4.4% |
Master’s Degree | 16.2% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.8% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 0.6% |
Doctoral Degree | 4.7% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 0.2% |
Online Computer Information Systems Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,574 schools offered some type of computer information systems program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 239 | 21 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 10 | 1 |
Associate’s Degree | 723 | 113 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 127 | 31 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 421 | 98 |
Post-Master’s | 13 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 116 | 11 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Computer Information Systems Worth It?
The median salary for a CIS grad is $102,470 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 157% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,251,400 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Computer Information Systems
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Majors Related to Computer Information Systems
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to CIS.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Computer Science | 15,813 |
Information Technology | 10,754 |
Information Science | 6,934 |
Computer Software & Applications | 4,047 |
Computer Systems Analysis | 817 |
Computer Systems Networking | 720 |
Computer Programming | 490 |
Other Computer & Information Sciences | 443 |
Data Processing | 205 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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