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Computer Information Systems Major

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Computer Information Systems

18,992 Master's Degrees Annually
984 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#9 in Popularity (Master's)
$102,470 Median Salary

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:

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  • 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:

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  • 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:

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  • 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?

18,992 Master's Degrees Annually
34% Percent Women
20% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is one of the most frequently chosen graduate majors. It is the 9th most popular in the country with 18,992 students graduating with a master’s in CIS in 2021. This major tends to be male dominated. About 66% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of CIS majors is as follows:

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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).

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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.

Median Salary for a Computer Information Systems Major  ( 93350 to 114000 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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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.

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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!

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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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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