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economics and computer science

Types of Degrees economics and computer science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing economics and computer science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	86
Master’s Degree	42

What economics and computer science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in economics and computer science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a economics and computer science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to economics and computer science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, economics and computer science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by economics and computer science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Google Docs	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for economics and computer science graduates include:

• College Professor
• Professor
• Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• University Faculty Member
• Cybersecurity Instructor
• Computer Applications Instructor
• Computer Technology Instructor
• C++ Professor
• Computer Information Systems Professor (CIS Professor)
• Computer Science Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to economics and computer science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.6%
Doctoral degree	29.0%
Master’s degree	22.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Postsecondary certificate	1.3%
Some college courses	1.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in economics and computer science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 43% women and 57% men among economics and computer science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	55	43.0%
Men	73	57.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of economics and computer science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	25	19.5%
Asian	42	32.8%
Hispanic or Latino	8	6.2%
Black or African American	8	6.2%
Two or More Races	6	4.7%
Race Unknown	1	0.8%
International Students	38	29.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Economics and Computer Science	30.39
Mathematics and Computer Science	30.0801
Accounting and Computer Science	30.1601
Data Science, General	30.7001
Economics and Foreign Language/Literature	30.4001

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.