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General Computer Science

Types of Degrees General Computer Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Computer Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,132
Associate’s Degree	6,410
Bachelor’s Degree	29,039
Master’s Degree	28,553
Doctor’s Degree	878

What General Computer Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing General Computer Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 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 emphasized by a General Computer Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 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.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Computer Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

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

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 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
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Computer Science graduates include:

• Systems Engineer
• Network Engineer
• University Faculty Member
• Computer Science Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Computer Networking Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Computer Information Systems Instructor (CIS Instructor)
• Java Programming Professor
• Computer Science Assistant Professor
• Computer Science Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Information Technology Instructor (IT Instructor)
• Computer Applications Instructor
• College Faculty Member

What Can You Do With a General Computer Science Degree?

Graduates with a degree in General Computer Science commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary	-4.2%	$35,659	$27,803–$43,516
Information Security Engineers	-3.8%	$142,543	$114,274–$170,812
Computer Systems Engineers/Architects	-1.9%	$140,795	$117,994–$163,597
Information Technology Project Managers	-3.4%	$124,655	$97,293–$152,018
Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians	-1.9%	$82,846	$64,703–$100,988
Blockchain Engineers	5.1%	$123,667	$106,885–$140,449
Web Administrators	0.7%	$62,692	$53,026–$72,358
Web and Digital Interface Designers	13.0%	$88,198	$70,323–$106,073
Computer Occupations, All Other	0.3%	$159,837	$123,930–$195,745
Health Informatics Specialists	3.5%	$156,714	$127,389–$186,039
Digital Forensics Analysts	-3.9%	$119,226	$92,537–$145,915
Document Management Specialists	-0.6%	$147,490	$115,907–$179,073

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.2%
Master’s degree	17.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.8%
Doctoral degree	9.9%
Postsecondary certificate	9.1%
Some college courses	4.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
First professional degree	0.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Computer Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.1% of General Computer Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	17,617	25.9%
Men	50,309	74.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	22,656	33.4%
Asian	9,688	14.3%
Hispanic or Latino	7,042	10.4%
Black or African American	4,499	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	151	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	78	0.1%
Two or More Races	2,013	3.0%
Race Unknown	2,657	3.9%
International Students	19,142	28.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Computer Science Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of General Computer 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	$69,148
4 years	$77,570
5 years	$88,131

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,131 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Computer Science Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for General Computer 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	77	48
Bachelor’s	55	61
Master’s	33	41
Doctoral (Research)	4	5

^{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 Computer Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, General Computer Science graduates earn a median of $77,570 four years after completion — roughly 104% 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer and Information Sciences, General	118,381
Computer Science	79,857
Information Technology	42,322
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance	38,088
Information Science/Studies	22,425
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	13,753
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11,341
Informatics	3,067
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst	3,034
Computer and Information Sciences, Other	2,635
Artificial Intelligence	1,653
Cloud Computing	1,229

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.