Computer Programming Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Computer Programming maps to BLS occupations averaging about $168,975, with roughly 538,880 workers nationwide in those roles. About 1,433 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 62%.
Key Statistics
Computer Programming: what the data shows
Common questions about computer programming degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a computer programming degree?
A Computer Programming program is classified under NCES CIP 00.1102 in the Food Science and Technology field family (00.11).
IPEDS counted 161 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of computer programming degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.11 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Computer Science (CIP 00.1107)
- Computer Software and Media Applications (CIP 00.1108)
- Computer Systems Analysis (CIP 00.1105)
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (CIP 00.1109)
- Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications (CIP 00.1106)
- Data Processing (CIP 00.1103)
- Information Science/Studies (CIP 00.1104)
How long does it take to get a computer programming degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1102 in our file:
- 1,433 Bachelor's (24.9% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 4,193 Master's (72.9% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 122 Doctorate (2.1% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in computer programming?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Programming, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Systems Analysis, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Computer Programmers (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a computer programming degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Computer Programming to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Programmers | 109,870 | $98,670 |
| Software Developers | 1,654,440 | $133,080 |
| Web Developers | 200,000 | — |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts | 199,800 | $102,610 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a computer programming degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $32,480 and median net price is $22,355.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Computer Programming and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$32,480 Median In-State Public
$21,698 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Computer Programming majors are, on average, $32,480 for in-state public colleges, and $21,698 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Computer Programming programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
161 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Computer Programming from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Computer Programming.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 156,755 |
| 2 | Western Governors University | UT | 135,822 |
| 3 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 76,996 |
| 4 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 68,619 |
| 5 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 54,926 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Computer Programming programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copper Mountain Community College | CA | $1,114 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | Laney College | CA | $1,148 |
| 5 | Berkeley City College | CA | $1,148 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Computer Programming programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Ford College | MI | $576 |
| 2 | Cerritos College | CA | $693 |
| 3 | Durham Technical Community College | NC | $1,183 |
| 4 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $1,228 |
| 5 | West Shore Community College | MI | $1,335 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Computer Programming programs.
Graduation Rates
61.74% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
59.65% Average Graduation Rate
123 Institutions Reporting
46.86% - 72.86% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Computer Programming programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.11 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Computer Science CIP 00.1107
- Computer Software and Media Applications CIP 00.1108
- Computer Systems Analysis CIP 00.1105
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications CIP 00.1109
- Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications CIP 00.1106
- Data Processing CIP 00.1103
- Information Science/Studies CIP 00.1104
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1102 in the survey year used in our extract (5,748 total across levels below).
- 1,433 Bachelor's (24.9% of IPEDS total)
- 4,193 Master's (72.9% of IPEDS total)
- 122 Doctorate (2.1% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $168,975. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Computer Programming graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Programmers | $123,323 | 109,870 |
| Software Developers | $190,798 | 1,654,440 |
| Web Developers | $48,681 | 200,000 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts | $133,790 | 199,800 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$132,874 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Computer Programming majors is $132,874.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Computer Programming majors.
Occupations by Share
538,880 2023 Workforce
The number of Computer Programming graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Computer Programming by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Debt and earnings fields below come from College Scorecard where present in our degree extract.
Financial value (extract)
$21,050 Median Student Debt
$51,673 Median Annual Earnings (10 years after enrollment)
40.74% Debt-to-Earnings Ratio
4.1 years Estimated Payback Period (assuming 10% of income)
477.87% Return on Investment (10-year earnings vs 4-year cost)
Ten-year earnings in this extract exceed four years of median net price.
$89,420 Estimated Total Cost (4 years at median net price)
Financial value comparison for Computer Programming degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Computer Programming in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Computer Programming.
Age distribution for Computer Programming degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Computer Programming degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Computer Programming degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Computer Programming are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Computer Programming.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Computer Programming field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Computer Programming majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Computer Programming majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Computer Programming majors.
About
Computer Programming
In 2023, 161 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Computer Programming.
CIP Code
00.1102 - Computer Programming
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $168,975. The largest mapped role by headcount is Computer Programmers (109,870 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $32,480 in-state at public colleges and $21,698 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.