Computer Programming

Types of Degrees Computer Programming Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many computer programming graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	4,106
Associate Degree	3,843
Bachelor’s Degree	2,330
Undergraduate Certificate	1,170
Master’s Degree	378
Graduate Certificate	112

What Computer Programming Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to programming 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 Programming Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in programming 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Programming Majors

A major in programming prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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 Programming Majors

Programming majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 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.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 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 Programming Major?

People with a programming degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Computer Network Support Specialists	8.2%	$62,770
Computer Science Professors	8.1%	$82,220
Software Developers, Applications	30.7%	$103,620
Software Developers, Systems Software	11.1%	$110,000
Web Developers	14.9%	$69,430

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Programming?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 2,330 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer programming in 2021, making it rank #129 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 83% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of programming majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	214
Black or African American	156
Hispanic or Latino	230
White	1,293
International Students	169
Other Races/Ethnicities	268

Geographic Diversity

Programming appeals to people across the globe. About 7.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• India
• China
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Computer Programming Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in programming was $51,361 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $51,361 (25th percentile) and $53,952 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in programming, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $75,580 to $108,080 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to programming. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Computer Programming

Some careers associated with programming 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 programming have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.6%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.0%
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)	4.9%
Some College Courses	3.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	58.0%
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.	1.3%
Master’s Degree	13.6%
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.	0.3%
Doctoral Degree	6.6%

Online Computer Programming Programs

In 2020-2021, 601 schools offered a programming program of some type. 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)	226	26
Certificate (2-4 Years)	16	4
Associate’s Degree	407	57
Bachelor’s Degree	22	7
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	18	5
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Computer Programming Worth It?

The median salary for a programming grad is $89,580 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 125% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $993,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Computer Programming

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to programming.

Major	Number of Grads
Computer Information Systems	88,434
Computer Science	59,565
Information Technology	40,555
Information Science	18,325
Computer Systems Networking	14,700
Computer Software & Applications	14,336
Computer Systems Analysis	2,338
Data Processing	1,955
Other Computer & Information Sciences	1,755
Data Entry	552

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 luis gomes under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.