Computer Science

Types of Degrees Computer Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many computer science graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	14,364
Doctor’s Degree	1,252
Graduate Certificate	197

What Computer Science Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, compsci 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 CompSci Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these 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 CompSci Majors

compsci majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for CompSci Majors

As a compsci 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.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 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.

What Can You Do With a Computer Science Major?

People with a compsci 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 Support Specialists	8.2%	$62,770
Computer Science Professors	8.1%	$82,220
Computer Systems Engineers/Architects	9.3%	$90,270
Document Management Specialists	9.3%	$90,270
Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists	9.3%	$90,270
Information Security Analysts	28.5%	$98,350
Search Marketing Strategists	9.3%	$90,270
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
Web Administrators	9.3%	$90,270
Web Developers	14.9%	$69,430

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Computer Science?

This is one of the most frequently chosen graduate majors. It is the 17th most popular in the country with 14,354 students graduating with a master’s in compsci in 2021. This major attracts more men than women. About 70% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1,328
Black or African American	231
Hispanic or Latino	312
White	2,028
International Students	9,914
Other Races/Ethnicities	551

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in CompSci, too. About 69.0% 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 Science Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in compsci was $98,509 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $80,910 (25th percentile) and $110,698 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a compsci degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Compsci majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $89,580 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 Science

Some degrees associated with compsci 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to compsci have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.0%
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)	6.1%
Some College Courses	4.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	57.3%
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.	4.3%
Master’s Degree	11.2%
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.	0.7%
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.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	4.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.2%

Online Computer Science Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 997 schools offered some type of computer science 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)	23	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	278	20
Bachelor’s Degree	32	9
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	275	27
Post-Master’s	7	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	117	3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Computer Science Worth It?

The median salary for a compsci grad is $96,200 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 141% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,126,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Computer Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to compsci.

Major	Number of Grads
Computer Information Systems	20,748
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
• Image Credit: By Negative Space under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.