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General Computer Science

Types of Degrees General Computer Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Computer Science may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,132
Associate’s Degree	6,410
Bachelor’s Degree	29,039
Master’s Degree	28,553
Doctor’s Degree	878

What General Computer Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Computer Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 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.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to General Computer Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Computer Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Computer Science professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Computer Science graduates include:

• Systems Engineer
• Network Engineer
• University Faculty Member
• Computer Science Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Computer Networking Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Computer Information Systems Instructor (CIS Instructor)
• Java Programming Professor
• Computer Science Assistant Professor
• Computer Science Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Information Technology Instructor (IT Instructor)
• Computer Applications Instructor
• College Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.2%
Master’s degree	17.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.8%
Doctoral degree	9.9%
Postsecondary certificate	9.1%
Some college courses	4.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
First professional degree	0.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Computer Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.1% of General Computer Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	17,617	25.9%
Men	50,309	74.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	22,656	33.4%
Asian	9,688	14.3%
Hispanic or Latino	7,042	10.4%
Black or African American	4,499	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	151	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	78	0.1%
Two or More Races	2,013	3.0%
Race Unknown	2,657	3.9%
International Students	19,142	28.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Computer Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Computer 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	$69,148
4 years	$77,570
5 years	$88,131

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,131 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Computer Science Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for General Computer 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
Associate’s	77	48
Bachelor’s	55	61
Master’s	33	41
Doctoral (Research)	4	5

^{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 General Computer Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Computer Science graduates earn a median of $77,570 four years after completion — roughly 104% 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	CIP Code
Computer and Information Sciences, General	11.01
Artificial Intelligence	11.0102
Computer and Information Sciences, Other	11.0199
Human-Centered Technology Design	11.0105
Informatics	11.0104
Information Technology	11.0103
Computer Science	11.0701
Information Science/Studies	11.0401
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance	11.1003
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst	11.0501
Cloud Computing	11.0902
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	11.0901

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.