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General Computer Programming

Types of Degrees General Computer Programming Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing General Computer Programming have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	887
Associate’s Degree	3,453
Bachelor’s Degree	1,766
Master’s Degree	5,213

What General Computer Programming Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — 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 developed in a General Computer Programming program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Programming — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Computer Programming 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 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Linux	Operating system software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C	Development environment software	✓
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	✓
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
PHP	Web platform development software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
UNIX	Operating system software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Computer Programming graduates include:

• Web Programmer
• Professor
• Computer Applications Instructor
• Java Programming Professor
• University Faculty Member
• IT Adjunct Faculty Member (Information Technology Adjunct Faculty Member)
• Computer Science Teacher
• Computer Science Assistant Professor
• Computer Information Systems Instructor (CIS Instructor)
• Computer Programming Professor
• Information Systems Professor (IS Professor)
• Computer Instructor
• Computer Science Instructor
• Computer Technology Instructor
• Information Security Systems Instructor

What Can You Do With a General Computer Programming Degree?

Graduates with a degree in General Computer Programming 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
Computer Programmers	11.7%	$109,892	$85,812–$133,972
Web Developers	4.6%	$125,527	$105,192–$145,862
Web and Digital Interface Designers	13.0%	$88,198	$70,323–$106,073
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	-1.7%	$80,062	$66,401–$93,722
Video Game Designers	2.6%	$62,617	$51,581–$73,653
Computer Network Support Specialists	-3.8%	$107,799	$84,973–$130,625
Software Developers	13.5%	$76,447	$61,199–$91,695

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	41.2%
Master’s degree	20.6%
Doctoral degree	17.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.4%
Postsecondary certificate	4.0%
Some college courses	3.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.9%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Computer Programming?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 76.5% of General Computer Programming degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,660	23.5%
Men	8,681	76.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,173	45.6%
Asian	1,122	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino	2,310	20.4%
Black or African American	948	8.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	56	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	20	0.2%
Two or More Races	396	3.5%
Race Unknown	611	5.4%
International Students	705	6.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Computer Programming Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of General Computer Programming 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	$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 General Computer Programming Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for General Computer 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	54	42
Bachelor’s	13	17
Master’s	5	3

^{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 Programming Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Computer 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer Science	79,857
Computer and Information Sciences, General	67,926
Information Science/Studies	22,425
Computer Programming	15,336
Informatics	3,067
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst	3,034
Computer Programming, Specific Applications	2,813
Artificial Intelligence	1,653
Cloud Computing	1,229
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation	1,028
Computer Game Programming	492
Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification	420

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.