Computer Information Systems

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

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to CIS and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for CIS Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in CIS should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• 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

As a CIS major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• 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?

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:

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

CIS appeals to people across the globe. 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

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in computer information systems made a median starting salary of $72,917 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $59,762 (25th percentile) and $90,793 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to CIS.

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 you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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!

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.