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General Information Science

Types of Degrees General Information Science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Information Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	539
Associate’s Degree	1,046
Bachelor’s Degree	9,605
Master’s Degree	11,021
Doctor’s Degree	197

What General Information Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Information Science build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Information Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in General Information Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a General Information Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to General Information Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Information Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Information Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Linux	Operating system software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
UNIX	Operating system software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C	Development environment software	✓
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
PHP	Web platform development software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Information Science graduates include:

• Systems Engineer
• Computer Science Adjunct Professor
• Computer Technology Instructor
• IT Adjunct Faculty Member (Information Technology Adjunct Faculty Member)
• Network Technology Instructor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Computer Programming Professor
• Information Technology Instructor (IT Instructor)
• Java Programming Professor
• Adjunct Computer Science Professor
• Information Technology Professor (IT Professor)
• Computer Science Assistant Professor
• Computer Engineering Professor
• Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.4%
Master’s degree	17.8%
Doctoral degree	12.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.2%
Postsecondary certificate	9.0%
Some college courses	4.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Less than a high school diploma	1.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Information Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 63.9% of General Information Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	8,095	36.1%
Men	14,330	63.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,671	29.7%
Asian	2,905	13.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1,951	8.7%
Black or African American	2,443	10.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	43	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	25	0.1%
Two or More Races	673	3.0%
Race Unknown	623	2.8%
International Students	7,091	31.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Information Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Information Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,846
4 years	$81,091
5 years	$90,854

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $90,854 — roughly 34% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Information Science Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for General Information Science. 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	21	4
Bachelor’s	53	22
Master’s	62	35
Doctoral (Research)	2	2

^{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 General Information Science Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General Information Science graduates earn a median of $81,091 four years after completion — roughly 113% 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
Information Science/Studies	11.04
Computer Science	11.0701
Computer and Information Sciences, General	11.0101
Cloud Computing	11.0902
Information Technology	11.0103
Artificial Intelligence	11.0102
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11.0201

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.