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Computer Science

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

The first two years cover the foundations: programming, data structures, algorithms, discrete math, and how a computer actually works underneath the hood. Upper-level classes branch out into operating systems, databases, networks, AI, graphics, security, and theory. Most programs require team-based software projects, where you'll learn (sometimes painfully) what it's like to share a codebase with other people.

Outside of class, internships at tech companies are practically expected by junior year, and many students contribute to open source, build personal apps, or compete in hackathons. Be ready for problem sets that take an entire weekend.

What you'll do after college

CS grads have one of the widest sets of options of any major. Many become software engineers at companies ranging from giant tech firms to two-person startups; others go into finance (quant trading and infrastructure), gaming, scientific computing, or government. Day-to-day work usually means writing, reviewing, and debugging code as part of a team, with meetings interrupting at the worst possible moments.

Pay is high, demand is strong, and remote work is common. Some grads pursue PhDs, while others jump straight to startups or do a tour through several companies in their first decade.

Famous graduates

  • Marc Andreessen — Co-creator of Mosaic and co-founder of Netscape; B.S. in Computer Science from UIUC
  • Brian Acton — Co-founder of WhatsApp; B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University
  • Cynthia Dwork — Turing Award-winning computer scientist; B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University
  • Jeff Bezos — Founder of Amazon; B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$105,801
2,802
100–85%
$107,133
5,514
85–72%
$106,883
8,294
72–70%
$105,984
11,146
70–55%
$115,895
11,055
55–35%
$137,400
8,530
35–15%
$184,556
5,394
14–5%
$207,668
2,752
5–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

By SAT median

$92,142
2,228
400–1060
$98,893
4,234
1060–1120
$101,910
6,673
1122–1235
$109,722
8,462
1240–1315
$119,184
8,922
1315–1405
$146,664
6,122
1410–1500
$185,414
4,401
1500–1540
$223,764
2,173
1540–1600
Median SAT · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Computer Science 1,085 70,199 78% / 22% 11% $109,812
Computer Science 1,047 64,513 78% / 22% 11% $108,009
Computer Programming 44 979 83% / 17% 6% $93,687
Software Engineering 27 894 82% / 18% 8% $108,266
Computer Software Engineering 46 828 80% / 20% 7% $114,336
Computer Science and Engineering 29 774 84% / 16% 6% $112,112
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences 1 492 78% / 22% 14% $212,798
Computational Science 33 382 68% / 32% 12%
Computer Science and Engineering (Course 6-3) 1 323 58% / 42% 13% $203,763
Computer Science and Software Engineering 3 292 76% / 24% 9% $148,731
Computer Science and Systems 1 176 78% / 22% 2% $148,617
Logic, Information, & Computation 1 145 70% / 30% 14% $294,663
Computing 5 98 83% / 17% 9% $100,317
Computer Systems Engineering 1 74 81% / 19% 9% $112,376
Software Development 1 42 93% / 7% 0%
Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science (Course 6-14) 1 39 46% / 54% 8%
Computing and Software Systems 1 37 73% / 27% 3% $148,617
Computer Engineering and Computer Science 1 36 67% / 33% 25% $142,736
New Media Interactive Development 1 25 76% / 24% 0%
Computing (CCS) 1 15 80% / 20% 13% $128,748
Computer Programming, Specific Applications 3 13 54% / 46% 0% $111,941
Applied Software Engineering 1 13 77% / 23% 38% $95,324
Computing Sciences 2 5 100% / 0% 20% $107,414
Computing and Mathematical Sciences 1 2 50% / 50% 0%
Computer Software 1 1 100% / 0% 0%
Computing Studies 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $81,620