Computer and Information Sciences

Types of Degrees Computer and Information Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general 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	28,096
Master’s Degree	18,316
Basic Certificate	8,071
Associate Degree	5,740
Undergraduate Certificate	1,281
Doctor’s Degree	801
Graduate Certificate	275

What Computer and Information Sciences Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to computer and 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 and Information Sciences Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in computer and 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills for Computer and Information Sciences Majors

When studying computer and information sciences, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• 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 Computer and Information Sciences Majors

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

• 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.
• 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 and Information Sciences Major?

People with a computer and information sciences 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
Database Administrators	11.5%	$90,070
Informatics Nurse Specialists	9.1%	$88,740
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	6.1%	$82,050
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 Bachelor’s Degree in Computer and Information Sciences?

This major attracts more men than women. About 78% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	5,455
Black or African American	2,163
Hispanic or Latino	3,567
White	11,583
International Students	3,074
Other Races/Ethnicities	2,254

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Computer and Information Sciences. About 10.9% of those with this major are international students.

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

Some careers associated with computer and information sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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 computer and information sciences careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.4%
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)	5.6%
Some College Courses	7.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	46.6%
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.	2.4%
Master’s Degree	17.9%
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.	1.2%
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.	0.9%
Doctoral Degree	7.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.3%

Online Computer and 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)	111	14
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	1
Associate’s Degree	348	66
Bachelor’s Degree	55	7
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	210	33
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	84	4
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Computer and Information Sciences

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

Major	Number of Grads
Information Technology	35,652
Informatics	2,793
Other Computer & Information Sciences	2,304
Artificial Intelligence	1,271
Human-Centered Technology Design	498

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.