Computer & Information Sciences

Types of Degrees Computer & Information Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many computer & information sciences graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	118,656
Master’s Degree	77,842
Basic Certificate	39,710
Associate Degree	35,940
Undergraduate Certificate	14,517
Graduate Certificate	3,961
Doctor’s Degree	2,892

What Computer & Information Sciences Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to computer & information sciences 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 Computer & Information Sciences Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in computer & information sciences 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.
• 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.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Computer & Information Sciences Majors

computer & information sciences 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Computer & Information Sciences Majors

A major in computer & information sciences will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 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 & Information Sciences Major?

People with a computer & information sciences degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
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
Computer User Support Specialists	11.3%	$50,980
Data Warehousing Specialists	9.3%	$90,270
Database Administrators	11.5%	$90,070
Database Architects	9.3%	$90,270
Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists	9.3%	$90,270
Loss Prevention Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Multimedia Artists and Animators	8.4%	$72,520
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	6.1%	$82,050
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Search Marketing Strategists	9.3%	$90,270
Security Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Software Developers, Applications	30.7%	$103,620
Web Administrators	9.3%	$90,270
Wind Energy Operations Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer & Information Sciences?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 77% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of computer & information sciences majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	22,222
Black or African American	9,963
Hispanic or Latino	14,388
White	50,426
International Students	11,371
Other Races/Ethnicities	10,286

Geographic Diversity

Computer & Information Sciences appeals to people across the globe. About 9.6% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Computer & Information Sciences

Some careers associated with computer & information sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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 computer & information sciences have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.2%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	6.0%
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)	5.7%
Some College Courses	7.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	10.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	52.4%
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.	3.6%
Master’s Degree	11.9%
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.	0.3%
Doctoral Degree	2.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Computer & Information Sciences Programs

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)	3,306	488
Certificate (2-4 Years)	298	80
Associate’s Degree	6,418	1,148
Bachelor’s Degree	1,116	388
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2,874	758
Post-Master’s	142	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	620	60
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	8	2
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Computer & Information Sciences

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to computer & information sciences.

Major	Number of Grads
Communications Technologies & Support	15,672

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 Almonroth under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.