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Computer Programming

Types of Degrees Computer Programming Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Computer Programming can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,555
Associate’s Degree	4,193
Bachelor’s Degree	2,397
Master’s Degree	7,050

What Computer Programming Majors Need to Know

Studies in Computer Programming emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Computer Programming graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Computer Programming emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Computer Programming program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Programming — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Computer Programming graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.9 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Computer Programming professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Linux	Operating system software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
PHP	Web platform development software	✓
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C	Development environment software	✓
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
UNIX	Operating system software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Computer Programming graduates include:

• Beta Tester
• Bug Bounty Hunter
• Malware Analyst
• Web Programmer
• Graphic Engineer
• Computer Programmer Analyst
• Application Programmer
• Cloud Engineer
• Computer Language Coder
• Statistical Programmer
• Numerical Control Programmer (NC Programmer)
• Application Programmer Analyst
• Applications Programmer
• Object-Oriented Programmer
• Engineering Programmer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	63.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.9%
Master’s degree	9.4%
Doctoral degree	7.3%
Some college courses	3.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.8%
Less than a high school diploma	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Computer Programming?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 76.2% of Computer Programming degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,649	23.8%
Men	11,687	76.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	7,344	47.9%
Asian	1,432	9.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,812	18.3%
Black or African American	1,440	9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	73	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	27	0.2%
Two or More Races	564	3.7%
Race Unknown	741	4.8%
International Students	903	5.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Computer Programming Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Computer Programming graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,537
4 years	$60,237
5 years	$68,349

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $68,349 — roughly 23% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Computer Programming Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Computer Programming. 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	68	54
Bachelor’s	21	23
Master’s	7	4

^{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 Computer Programming Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Computer Programming graduates earn a median of $60,237 four years after completion — roughly 59% 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 Information Sciences	11
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other	11.99
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES	11.00
Computer and Information Sciences, General	11.01
Computer Science	11.07
Computer Software and Media Applications	11.08
Computer Systems Analysis	11.05
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	11.09
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	11.10
Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications	11.06
Data Processing	11.03
Information Science/Studies	11.04

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.