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Computer Graphics

Types of Degrees Computer Graphics Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Computer Graphics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	108
Associate’s Degree	547
Bachelor’s Degree	1,393
Master’s Degree	1,251

What Computer Graphics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Computer Graphics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Computer Graphics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Programming — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Computer Graphics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Computer Graphics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML	Web platform development software	—
Adobe ColdFusion	Web platform development software	—
Cascading style sheets CSS	Web platform development software	✓
Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP	Web platform development software	—
Verilog	Development environment software	—
jQuery	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Computer Graphics graduates include:

• Numerical Control Programmer (NC Programmer)
• Computer Programmer
• Operating System Programmer
• Programmer
• E-Commerce Programmer (Electronic Commerce Programmer)
• Java Architect
• Mainframe Programmer
• Java Programmer
• Programmer Analyst
• Cloud Engineer
• Client Server Programmer
• Game Programmer
• Java Developer
• Program Analyst
• Bug Bounty Hunter

What Can You Do With a Computer Graphics Degree?

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

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Computer Programmers	—	—	—

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	69.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	14.4%
Master’s degree	4.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.1%
Some college courses	4.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.1%
Doctoral degree	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Computer Graphics?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.3% women and 45.7% men among Computer Graphics graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,799	54.3%
Men	1,513	45.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,248	37.7%
Asian	231	7.0%
Hispanic or Latino	917	27.7%
Black or African American	238	7.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	16	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	143	4.3%
Race Unknown	141	4.3%
International Students	374	11.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Computer Graphics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Computer Graphics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$47,963
4 years	$41,500
5 years	$47,394

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,394 — roughly -1% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Computer Graphics Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Computer Graphics. 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	5	1
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	1	1

^{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 Computer Graphics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Computer Graphics graduates earn a median of $41,500 four years after completion — roughly 9% 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 Software and Media Applications	11.08
Computer Software and Media Applications, Other	11.0899
Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration	11.0802
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation	11.0804
Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design	11.0801
Cloud Computing	11.0902
Computer Game Programming	11.0204
Computer Programming, Other	11.0299
Computer Programming, Specific Applications	11.0202
Computer Programming, Specific Platforms	11.0205
Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification	11.0203

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.