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Specific Application Programming

Types of Degrees Specific Application Programming Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Specific Application Programming have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	576
Associate’s Degree	669
Bachelor’s Degree	194
Master’s Degree	1,255

What Specific Application Programming Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Specific Application Programming emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Programming — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Specific Application Programming careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Deductive 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, Specific Application Programming graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.9 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Specific Application Programming professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Relational database management software	Data base management system software	—
Apache Kafka	Development environment software	✓
Splunk Enterprise	Cloud-based management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
McAfee	Transaction security and virus protection software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
Apache Tomcat	Web platform development software	—
React	Web platform development software	✓
Hewlett Packard HP-UX	Operating system software	—
Amazon Kinesis	Data base management system software	—
Quest Erwin Data Modeler	Metadata management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Specific Application Programming graduates include:

• Beta Tester
• Malware Analyst
• Bug Bounty Hunter
• Application Programmer
• Graphic Engineer
• Computer Programmer Analyst
• Client Server Programmer
• Certified Ethical Hacker
• Applications Programmer
• Java Architect
• Website Programmer
• Program Analyst
• Mainframe Programmer
• Java Developer
• Analyst Programmer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	77.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	13.3%
Some college courses	3.9%
Postsecondary certificate	2.7%
Master’s degree	1.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Specific Application Programming?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 75.3% of Specific Application Programming degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	696	24.7%
Men	2,117	75.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,531	54.4%
Asian	225	8.0%
Hispanic or Latino	363	12.9%
Black or African American	376	13.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Two or More Races	115	4.1%
Race Unknown	95	3.4%
International Students	89	3.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Specific Application Programming Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Specific Application 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 Specific Application Programming Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Specific Application 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	11	11
Bachelor’s	3	3
Master’s	1	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 Specific Application Programming Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Specific Application 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 Programming	11.02
Computer Game Programming	11.0204
Computer Programming, Other	11.0299
Computer Programming, Specific Platforms	11.0205
Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification	11.0203
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11.0201
Computer Science	11.0701
Cloud Computing	11.0902
Informatics	11.0104
Information Technology	11.0103
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation	11.0804
Artificial Intelligence	11.0102

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.