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Information Technology

Types of Degrees Information Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Information Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4,450
Associate’s Degree	10,031
Bachelor’s Degree	14,773
Master’s Degree	27,697
Doctor’s Degree	140

What Information Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Information Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Information Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Information Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Information Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Information Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Information Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Information Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Linux	Operating system software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Perl	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	✓
UNIX	Operating system software	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Information Technology graduates include:

• Security Analyst
• AI Security Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Security Specialist)
• Cybersecurity Engineer
• Cloud Security Architect
• Cloud Security Engineer
• Security Consultant
• Cyber Defense Analyst
• Incident Responder
• Incident Response Analyst
• Information Technology Security Analyst (IT Security Analyst)
• Network Security Systems Analyst
• Network Security Analyst
• Cybersecurity Specialist
• Information Security Analyst
• Security Control Assessor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Information Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	50.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	14.1%
Postsecondary certificate	11.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	8.5%
Some college courses	5.7%
Master’s degree	4.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.8%
First professional degree	0.4%
Doctoral degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Information Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 76.6% of Information Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	13,550	23.4%
Men	44,385	76.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Information Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	23,697	40.9%
Asian	4,090	7.1%
Hispanic or Latino	8,490	14.7%
Black or African American	8,919	15.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	330	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	168	0.3%
Two or More Races	2,287	3.9%
Race Unknown	2,821	4.9%
International Students	7,133	12.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Information Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Information Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,248
4 years	$56,780
5 years	$64,307

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,307 — roughly 0% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Information Technology Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Information Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	186	78
Bachelor’s	138	69
Master’s	141	66
Doctoral (Research)	6	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Information Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Information Technology graduates earn a median of $56,780 four years after completion — roughly 49% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer Information Sciences	332,216
Computer and Information Sciences, General	118,381
Computer Science	79,857
Information Science/Studies	22,425
Computer Software and Media Applications	15,581
Computer Programming	15,336
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	15,034
Computer Systems Analysis	3,034
Data Processing	2,131
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other	2,066
Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications	436
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.