Georgia·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1221

Best Computer programs in Georgia, ranked by enrollment

Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors.

43 schools in Georgia run programs that feed this job, graduating 9,902 people a year. The job pays a median of $92,250 in Georgia across about 810 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledComputer ScientistResearch ScientistComputer SpecialistControl System Computer ScientistScientistCryptologistApplied ScientistResearch Engineer
Graduates / yr
9,902
in Georgia
Median pay · Georgia
$92,250
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
810
people employed
Schools
43
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
43%
across those schools
Median net price
$22,641
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Georgia that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

12 programs in Georgia that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Georgia (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 Georgia page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 11.0101In Georgia
5,749
58.1%
21$57,986$24,286
2
Computer Sciencemain feeder
CIP 11.0701In Georgia
2,254
22.8%
17$70,374$23,250
3
CIP 11.0103In Georgia
1,251
12.6%
18$57,986$24,286
4
CIP 11.0401In Georgia
370
3.7%
10$57,313$25,833
5
CIP 26.1103In Georgia
85
0.9%
2$72,338$18,500
6
CIP 30.7001In Georgia
53
0.5%
8
7
CIP 30.3101In Georgia
49
0.5%
1$57,986$25,812
8
CIP 51.2706In Georgia
48
0.5%
4$47,775$25,000
9
CIP 11.0102In Georgia
18
0.2%
2$57,986$24,286
10
CIP 30.7099In Georgia
14
0.1%
1
11
CIP 11.0199In Georgia
6
0.1%
1$57,986$24,286
12
Informaticsmain feeder
CIP 11.0104In Georgia
5
0.1%
1$57,986$24,286

Top 25 schools in Georgia

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 23 of the 43 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Atlanta, GA Public · 5 feeder programs
4,999Computer and Information Sciences, General$105,13794%14%
2Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA Public · 5 feeder programs
1,240Computer Science$68,76352%69%
3Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA Public · 3 feeder programs
1,131Computer Science$66,80353%55%
4University of Georgia
Athens, GA Public · 7 feeder programs
587Computer Science$79,54690%38%
5Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA Public · 3 feeder programs
254Computer and Information Sciences, General$47,82525%100%
6Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA Public · 3 feeder programs
209Information Technology$63,61655%88%
7Strayer University - Georgia
Chamblee, GA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
182Information Technology$67,31521%$18,224
8Georgia Gwinnett College
Lawrenceville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
156Information Technology21%95%
9University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, GA Public · 3 feeder programs
144Computer and Information Sciences, General$54,13337%68%
10Emory University
Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
138Computer Science$80,62391%$20,58611%
11Columbus State University
Columbus, GA Public · 3 feeder programs
116Computer and Information Sciences, General$56,66042%99%
12Clayton State University
Morrow, GA Public · 4 feeder programs
71Computer Science$56,32840%68%
13DeVry University - Georgia
Decatur, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
62Information Technology13%$30,244100%
14University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA Public · 2 feeder programs
57Computer and Information Sciences, General$69,65343%52%
15Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA Public · 2 feeder programs
57Information Science/Studies$51,88842%72%
16Augusta University
Augusta, GA Public · 4 feeder programs
55Computer and Information Sciences, General$57,41549%86%
17Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
49Human Computer Interaction$83,50069%$44,90283%
18South University - Savannah Online
Savannah, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
45Information Science/Studies$44,6827%$28,691
19Mercer University
Macon, GA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
42Computer Science70%$22,64169%
20American InterContinental University - Atlanta
Atlanta, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
34Information Technology$51,68721%$17,531
21Georgia Military College
Milledgeville, GA Public · 2 feeder programs
32Information Technology$42,28538%
22Albany State University
Albany, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
29Computer and Information Sciences, General31%
23Georgia Southwestern State University
Americus, GA Public · 3 feeder programs
27Computer Science41%75%
24Spelman College
Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
27Computer and Information Sciences, General$98,69278%$35,13225%
25Morehouse College
Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
20Computer Science59%$36,43144%

All 43 schools in Georgia

Every school in Georgia 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.

All schools in Georgia that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main CampusAtlantaPublic4,9995
Kennesaw State UniversityKennesawPublic1,2405
Georgia State UniversityAtlantaPublic1,1313
University of GeorgiaAthensPublic5877
Middle Georgia State UniversityMaconPublic2543
Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboroPublic2093
Strayer University - GeorgiaChambleePrivate for-profit1823
Georgia Gwinnett CollegeLawrencevillePublic1561
University of North GeorgiaDahlonegaPublic1443
Emory UniversityAtlantaPrivate not-for-profit1381
Columbus State UniversityColumbusPublic1163
Clayton State UniversityMorrowPublic714
DeVry University - GeorgiaDecaturPrivate for-profit621
University of West GeorgiaCarrolltonPublic572
Valdosta State UniversityValdostaPublic572

What computer and information research scientists earn in Georgia

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Georgia
$92,250
Mean annual
$105,860
Jobs in state
810
What the range looks like
10th pct$73,780Median$92,25090th pct$153,630
Versus the national median
-34.2%

U.S. median $140,300. Georgia pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.69×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Georgia

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$166,800median
110 jobs
Warner Robins, GA
$89,500median
650 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+19.7%
Much faster than average
Openings per year
3,200
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
7,900
40,300 → 48,300
Typical entry education
Master's degree

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

Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingActive LearningWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Georgia

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 Georgia.

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 5,749 degrees in Georgia in 2024-25, 58.1% 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 12 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Science, Information Science/Studies, Biomathematics, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 9,902 people a year in Georgia.

How much do computer and information research scientists earn in Georgia?+

The median is $92,250 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 34.2% 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 Georgia?+

43 institutions in Georgia reported graduates from at least one of the 12 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.

Computer and Information Research Scientists in other statesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkIllinoisFloridaNorth CarolinaMassachusettsPennsylvania

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 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected 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 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, 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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