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Information Technology

Types of Degrees Information Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Information Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,146
Associate’s Degree	6,751
Bachelor’s Degree	14,026
Master’s Degree	20,045
Doctor’s Degree	182

What Information Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies 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

Coursework in Information Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Information Technology 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 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Information Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 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
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Information Technology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Information Technology graduates include:

• Data Analyst
• Data Modeler
• Technology Analyst
• Systems Analyst
• Solutions Architect
• Information Technology Analyst (IT Analyst)
• Information Technology Consultant (IT Consultant)
• Data Architect
• Data Engineer
• Business Systems Analyst
• Health Informatics Analyst
• Network Security Systems Analyst
• Network Security Analyst
• IT Auditor (Information Technology Auditor)
• Cryptologist

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	55.3%
Master’s degree	14.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.7%
Postsecondary certificate	5.6%
Some college courses	3.0%
Doctoral degree	1.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
First professional degree	0.4%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%
Post-doctoral training	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 70.6% of Information Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	12,450	29.4%
Men	29,872	70.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	14,781	34.9%
Asian	3,831	9.1%
Hispanic or Latino	5,992	14.2%
Black or African American	6,042	14.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	209	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	108	0.3%
Two or More Races	1,260	3.0%
Race Unknown	2,657	6.3%
International Students	7,442	17.6%

^{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. 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 Information Technology Programs

Distance learning are documented 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	76	50
Bachelor’s	92	46
Master’s	56	27
Doctoral (Research)	6	1

^{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?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Information Technology 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
Computer and Information Sciences, General	11.0101
Human-Centered Technology Design	11.0105
Informatics	11.0104
Computer Science	11.0701
Cloud Computing	11.0902
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance	11.1003
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst	11.0501
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	11.0901
Information Science/Studies	11.0401

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.