Types of Degrees Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many computer & is security graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	7,256
Master’s Degree	6,711
Basic Certificate	5,021
Associate Degree	4,168
Undergraduate Certificate	1,489
Graduate Certificate	1,155
Doctor’s Degree	118

What Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance Majors

Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance Majors

As a computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Computer and Information Systems Managers	12.0%	$142,530
Computer Network Architects	6.5%	$109,020
Computer Network Support Specialists	8.2%	$62,770
Database Administrators	11.5%	$90,070
Information Security Analysts	28.5%	$98,350
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	6.1%	$82,050
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists	6.5%	$109,020

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in ?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 82% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	492
Black or African American	854
Hispanic or Latino	844
White	4,073
International Students	218
Other Races/Ethnicities	775

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance, too. About 3.0% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $87,070 to $111,130 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to

Some degrees associated with computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	8.5%
Some College Courses	9.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	13.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	49.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	5.4%
Master’s Degree	9.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.0%

Online Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	174	40
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	0
Associate’s Degree	323	71
Bachelor’s Degree	126	48
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	214	99
Post-Master’s	14	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	14	5
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Worth It?

The median salary for a computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance grad is $92,030 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 131% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,042,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to computer and information systems security/auditing/information assurance.

Major	Number of Grads
Network & System Administration/Administrator	4,784
Information Technology Management	3,306
Computer Support Specialist	3,238
Information Technology Project Management	2,307
System, Networking, & LAN/WAN Management/Manager	2,214
Web/Multimedia Management & Webmaster	1,133

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Craig Dennis under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.