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Computational Science

Types of Degrees Computational Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Computational Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	19
Bachelor’s Degree	431
Master’s Degree	1,862
Doctor’s Degree	83

What Computational Science Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Computational Science emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Computational Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Computational Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Computational Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Computational Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Computational Science graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Computational Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Linux	Operating system software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C	Development environment software	✓
UNIX	Operating system software	✓
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Computational Science graduates include:

• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Computer Technology Instructor
• Lecturer
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Cloud Engineer
• Engineer
• Systems Engineer
• Data Analyst
• Cybersecurity Instructor
• Computer Instructor
• C++ Professor
• Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.1%
Master’s degree	18.2%
Doctoral degree	9.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.1%
Postsecondary certificate	7.1%
Some college courses	3.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%
Post-doctoral training	0.8%
Less than a high school diploma	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Computational Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 65.2% of Computational Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	834	34.8%
Men	1,561	65.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Computational Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	650	27.1%
Asian	247	10.3%
Hispanic or Latino	143	6.0%
Black or African American	46	1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	52	2.2%
Race Unknown	73	3.0%
International Students	1,182	49.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Computational Science Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Computational Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$104,307

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

Online Computational Science Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Computational Science. 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
Bachelor’s	5	3
Master’s	11	8

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

Related Programs

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

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	134,694
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	30,141
Biological and Physical Sciences	28,033
Data Analytics	12,891
Data Science	7,716
International/Globalization Studies	5,740
Nutrition Sciences	5,456
Behavioral Sciences	5,391
Sustainability Studies	4,374
Cognitive Science	3,121
Natural Sciences	2,648
Human Computer Interaction	2,298

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.