Best Computer programs in Arizona, ranked by enrollment
Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors.
32 schools in Arizona run programs that feed this job, graduating 8,031 people a year. The job pays a median of $129,760 in Arizona across about 360 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Arizona that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
13 programs in Arizona that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Arizona (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Arizona page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information Technologymain feeder CIP 11.0103In Arizona → | 3,225 | 40.2% | 18 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 2 | Computer Sciencemain feeder CIP 11.0701In Arizona → | 2,943 | 36.6% | 21 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 3 | CIP 30.7001In Arizona → | 532 | 6.6% | 7 | — | — |
| 4 | Computer and Information Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 11.0101In Arizona → | 405 | 5.0% | 14 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0902In Arizona → | 246 | 3.1% | 5 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 6 | CIP 30.3101In Arizona → | 244 | 3.0% | 2 | $57,986 | $25,812 |
| 7 | Informaticsmain feeder CIP 11.0104In Arizona → | 155 | 1.9% | 4 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 8 | Information Science/Studiesmain feeder CIP 11.0401In Arizona → | 92 | 1.1% | 4 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 9 | CIP 26.1103In Arizona → | 77 | 1.0% | 3 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 10 | Artificial Intelligencemain feeder CIP 11.0102In Arizona → | 44 | 0.5% | 5 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 11 | CIP 51.2706In Arizona → | 44 | 0.5% | 1 | $47,775 | $25,000 |
| 12 | CIP 11.0804In Arizona → | 19 | 0.2% | 3 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 13 | Computer and Information Sciences, Othermain feeder CIP 11.0199In Arizona → | 5 | 0.1% | 1 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
Top 25 schools in Arizona
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 32 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 6 feeder programs | 2,077 | Computer Science | $80,686 | 68% | — | 90% |
| 2 | University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 1,765 | Information Technology | $59,291 | 21% | $15,478 | — |
| 3 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 951 | Information Technology | — | 61% | — | 90% |
| 4 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 8 feeder programs | 752 | Computer Science | $86,040 | 68% | — | 86% |
| 5 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 655 | Computer Science | — | 0% | — | 67% |
| 6 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 609 | Information Technology | $59,500 | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 7 | American InterContinental University System Chandler, AZ Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 349 | Information Technology | $51,687 | 9% | $15,785 | — |
| 8 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 182 | Cloud Computing | — | 16% | — | — |
| 9 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 164 | Information Technology | — | 11% | $26,445 | — |
| 10 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 103 | Cloud Computing | — | 16% | — | — |
| 11 | University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ Private for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 73 | Computer Science | — | 35% | $21,175 | 98% |
| 12 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 62 | Information Technology | — | 14% | — | — |
| 13 | Chandler - Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 47 | Computer Science | — | 30% | — | — |
| 14 | Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 46 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 15 | Western Maricopa Education Center Glendale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 39 | Information Technology | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Arizona Western College Yuma, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | — | 20% | — | — |
| 17 | Northland Pioneer College Holbrook, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | — | 22% | — | — |
| 18 | Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Information Technology | — | 9% | — | — |
| 19 | Cochise County Community College District Sierra Vista, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 14 | Computer Science | — | 30% | — | — |
| 20 | Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 13 | Information Technology | — | 19% | — | — |
| 21 | Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Prescott, AZ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation | — | 68% | $38,461 | 77% |
| 22 | Mohave Community College Kingman, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | — | 38% | — | — |
| 23 | Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Computer Science | — | 17% | — | — |
| 24 | South Mountain Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Information Technology | — | 16% | — | — |
| 25 | GateWay Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
All 32 schools in Arizona
Every school in Arizona with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | Tempe | Public | 2,077 | 6 |
| University of Phoenix - Arizona | Phoenix | Private for-profit | 1,765 | 5 |
| Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | Public | 951 | 4 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson | Public | 752 | 8 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion | Scottsdale | Public | 655 | 5 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix | Private not-for-profit | 609 | 3 |
| American InterContinental University System | Chandler | Private for-profit | 349 | 3 |
| Mesa Community College | Mesa | Public | 182 | 3 |
| The University of Arizona Global Campus | Chandler | Public | 164 | 2 |
| Glendale Community College | Glendale | Public | 103 | 4 |
| University of Advancing Technology | Tempe | Private for-profit | 73 | 5 |
| Phoenix College | Phoenix | Public | 62 | 4 |
| Chandler - Gilbert Community College | Chandler | Public | 47 | 3 |
| Estrella Mountain Community College | Avondale | Public | 46 | 3 |
| Western Maricopa Education Center | Glendale | Public | 39 | 1 |
What computer and information research scientists earn in Arizona
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $140,300. Arizona pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Arizona
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer and Information Research Scientists page.
How to become a Computer
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Arizona
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 15 majors mapped to Computer and Information Research Scientists14 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General
- 11.0102Artificial Intelligence
- 11.0103Information Technology
- 11.0104Informatics
- 11.0199Computer and Information Sciences, Other
- 11.0401Information Science/Studies
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 26.1103Bioinformatics
- 30.3101Human Computer Interaction
- 30.7001Data Science, General
- 30.7099Data Science, Other
- 40.0512Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics(no graduates reported)
- 51.2706Medical Informatics
Common questions
Answers for people weighing computer and information research scientists programs in Arizona.
What degree do you need to become a Computer?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Information Technology, which awarded 3,225 degrees in Arizona in 2024-25, 40.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 13 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Science, Data Science, Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 8,031 people a year in Arizona.
How much do computer and information research scientists earn in Arizona?+
The median is $129,760 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 7.5% below the U.S. median of $140,300. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for computer and information research scientists growing?+
BLS projects a +19.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 3,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Arizona?+
32 institutions in Arizona reported graduates from at least one of the 13 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do computer and information research scientists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Computer Scientist, Research Scientist, Computer Specialist, Control System Computer Scientist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1221.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card