Best Computer programs in Florida, ranked by enrollment
Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors.
77 schools in Florida run programs that feed this job, graduating 12,629 people a year. The job pays a median of $119,810 in Florida across about 1,070 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Florida that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
13 programs in Florida that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Florida (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 Florida page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer and Information Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 11.0101In Florida → | 4,566 | 36.2% | 27 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 2 | Information Technologymain feeder CIP 11.0103In Florida → | 4,210 | 33.3% | 45 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | Computer Sciencemain feeder CIP 11.0701In Florida → | 1,464 | 11.6% | 22 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 4 | CIP 30.3101In Florida → | 682 | 5.4% | 2 | $57,986 | $25,812 |
| 5 | Information Science/Studiesmain feeder CIP 11.0401In Florida → | 580 | 4.6% | 12 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 6 | CIP 30.7001In Florida → | 435 | 3.4% | 13 | — | — |
| 7 | Computer and Information Sciences, Othermain feeder CIP 11.0199In Florida → | 213 | 1.7% | 2 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 8 | Artificial Intelligencemain feeder CIP 11.0102In Florida → | 186 | 1.5% | 7 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 9 | CIP 51.2706In Florida → | 156 | 1.2% | 4 | $47,775 | $25,000 |
| 10 | Informaticsmain feeder CIP 11.0104In Florida → | 58 | 0.5% | 6 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 11 | CIP 11.0902In Florida → | 53 | 0.4% | 6 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 12 | CIP 26.1103In Florida → | 23 | 0.2% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 13 | CIP 11.0804In Florida → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
Top 25 schools in Florida
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 27 of the 77 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,276 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $68,793 | 78% | — | 40% |
| 2 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 1,120 | Human Computer Interaction | $26,924 | 44% | $32,163 | — |
| 3 | Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 1,090 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $62,562 | 74% | — | 55% |
| 4 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,065 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $58,379 | 63% | — | 66% |
| 5 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 1,026 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $90,651 | 91% | — | 24% |
| 6 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 7 feeder programs | 958 | Information Science/Studies | — | 77% | — | 43% |
| 7 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 886 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $61,376 | 86% | — | 24% |
| 8 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 730 | Information Technology | $52,497 | 39% | — | — |
| 9 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 481 | Information Technology | $49,903 | 46% | — | — |
| 10 | Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 302 | Information Technology | $31,754 | 48% | — | — |
| 11 | Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 249 | Information Technology | $49,049 | 45% | — | — |
| 12 | University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 245 | Computer Science | — | 69% | — | 53% |
| 13 | Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 218 | Information Technology | $35,883 | 61% | $35,483 | 97% |
| 14 | Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 186 | Computer Science | $72,237 | 45% | $18,986 | 78% |
| 15 | InterAmerican Technical Institute Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 171 | Computer and Information Sciences, Other | — | 85% | $29,699 | — |
| 16 | Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 170 | Computer Science | — | 55% | — | 58% |
| 17 | University of West Florida Pensacola, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 170 | Information Technology | $45,733 | 59% | — | 58% |
| 18 | Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 165 | Computer Science | $75,231 | 64% | $33,585 | 58% |
| 19 | Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 158 | Information Technology | — | 37% | — | — |
| 20 | Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 155 | Information Technology | $51,316 | 41% | — | — |
| 21 | Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 139 | Information Science/Studies | $57,313 | 52% | — | — |
| 22 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 133 | Computer Science | — | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 23 | University of Florida - Online Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 129 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $90,651 | 85% | — | 61% |
| 24 | Santa Fe College Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 125 | Information Technology | $49,302 | 53% | — | — |
| 25 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 96 | Computer Science | $76,877 | 84% | $26,589 | 19% |
All 77 schools in Florida
Every school in Florida 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Florida | Orlando | Public | 1,276 | 5 |
| Full Sail University | Winter Park | Private for-profit | 1,120 | 3 |
| Florida International University | Miami | Public | 1,090 | 3 |
| Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton | Public | 1,065 | 5 |
| University of Florida | Gainesville | Public | 1,026 | 3 |
| University of South Florida | Tampa | Public | 958 | 7 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee | Public | 886 | 4 |
| Broward College | Fort Lauderdale | Public | 730 | 2 |
| Miami Dade College | Miami | Public | 481 | 4 |
| Valencia College | Orlando | Public | 302 | 1 |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | Public | 249 | 1 |
| University of North Florida | Jacksonville | Public | 245 | 6 |
| Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale | Private not-for-profit | 218 | 3 |
| Saint Leo University | Saint Leo | Private not-for-profit | 186 | 3 |
| InterAmerican Technical Institute | Miami | Private for-profit | 171 | 1 |
What computer and information research scientists earn in Florida
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $140,300. Florida pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Florida
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 Florida
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 Florida.
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 Computer and Information Sciences, General, which awarded 4,566 degrees in Florida in 2024-25, 36.2% 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, Human Computer Interaction, Information Science/Studies, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 12,629 people a year in Florida.
How much do computer and information research scientists earn in Florida?+
The median is $119,810 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 14.6% 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 Florida?+
77 institutions in Florida 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
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