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General Computer Science

Types of Degrees General Computer Science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Computer Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	31
Associate’s Degree	5,649
Bachelor’s Degree	46,155
Master’s Degree	26,353
Doctor’s Degree	1,669

What General Computer Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Computer Science develop 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.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a General Computer Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 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.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 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	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Computer Science graduates include:

• Cloud Engineer
• Systems Engineer
• Engineer
• Web Programmer
• Web Architect
• Website Manager
• Webmaster
• Webmaster Analyst
• Websphere Administrator
• Security Analyst
• Computer Information Systems Instructor (CIS Instructor)
• Computer Science Adjunct Professor
• C++ Professor
• Computer Applications Instructor
• Computer Programming Professor

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	—	—	—
Information Security Engineers	—	—	—
Computer Programmers	—	—	—
Computer Systems Engineers/Architects	—	—	—
Business Intelligence Analysts	—	—	—
Information Technology Project Managers	—	—	—
Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians	—	—	—
Web Developers	—	—	—
Blockchain Engineers	—	—	—
Information Security Analysts	—	—	—
Web Administrators	—	—	—
Data Scientists	—	—	—

^{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	48.2%
Master’s degree	13.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.9%
Postsecondary certificate	7.7%
Doctoral degree	7.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.4%
Some college courses	3.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.2%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.8%

^{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 75.5% of General Computer Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	19,590	24.5%
Men	60,267	75.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	22,558	28.2%
Asian	15,167	19.0%
Hispanic or Latino	7,346	9.2%
Black or African American	3,302	4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	107	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	80	0.1%
Two or More Races	2,567	3.2%
Race Unknown	2,685	3.4%
International Students	26,045	32.6%

^{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	$81,554
4 years	$101,949
5 years	$117,894

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $117,894 — roughly 45% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Computer Science Programs

Distance learning is tracked 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	43	29
Bachelor’s	48	48
Master’s	42	44
Doctoral (Research)	5	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?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General Computer Science graduates earn a median of $101,949 four years after completion — roughly 168% 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
Computer Science	11.07
Computer and Information Sciences, General	11.0101
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11.0201
Information Science/Studies	11.0401
Information Technology	11.0103
Cloud Computing	11.0902
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation	11.0804

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.