Data Processing

Types of Degrees Data Processing Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many data processing graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	629
Associate Degree	604
Master’s Degree	312
Bachelor’s Degree	179
Undergraduate Certificate	166
Graduate Certificate	30
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Data Processing Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, data processing majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Data Processing Majors

Data Processing majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills for Data Processing Majors

When studying data processing, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Data Processing Majors

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

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 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.
• 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).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Data Processing Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with data processing:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Geographic Information Systems Technicians	9.3%	$90,270
Web Administrators	9.3%	$90,270

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Data Processing?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 170 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in data processing in 2021, making it rank #268 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 64% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	27
Black or African American	20
Hispanic or Latino	17
White	73
International Students	20
Other Races/Ethnicities	22

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Data Processing, too. About 11.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Data Processing

Some careers associated with data processing require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to data processing have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	13.2%
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)	6.1%
Some College Courses	8.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	14.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	50.9%
Master’s Degree	7.2%
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.	1.5%

Online Data Processing Programs

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)	37	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	18	8
Associate’s Degree	74	16
Bachelor’s Degree	7	3
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	7	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Data Processing

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

Major	Number of Grads
Computer Information Systems	105,098
Computer Science	72,693
Information Technology	46,791
Information Science	20,202
Computer Software & Applications	14,684
Computer Systems Networking	13,734
Computer Programming	12,983
Computer Systems Analysis	2,864
Other Computer & Information Sciences	2,000
Data Entry	542

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 Kenneth Jensen under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.