Best degree programs for Computer Programmers, ranked by enrollment
17 college programs and 1,591 schools train Computer Programmers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $100,390 median wage, 92,230 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
17 college programs at 1,591 schools train computer programmers, graduating 128,002 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Computer Science. The job pays a median of $100,390 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About computer programmers
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
17 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0701 | 88,326 | 69.0% | 1,033 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | Computer Programming/Programmer, Generalmain feeder CIP 11.0201 | 12,592 | 9.8% | 401 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 3 | CIP 52.1201 | 9,946 | 7.8% | 278 | $59,352 | $24,618 |
| 4 | CIP 11.0803 | 3,730 | 2.9% | 114 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 5 | CIP 30.3001 | 2,845 | 2.2% | 83 | $50,745 | $27,000 |
| 6 | Computer Programming, Specific Applicationsmain feeder CIP 11.0202 | 2,745 | 2.1% | 131 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 7 | CIP 30.7101 | 2,672 | 2.1% | 134 | — | — |
| 8 | CIP 11.0902 | 1,612 | 1.3% | 61 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 9 | CIP 11.0804 | 1,256 | 1.0% | 48 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 10 | Computer Game Programmingmain feeder CIP 11.0204 | 547 | 0.4% | 32 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 11 | CIP 15.1204 | 480 | 0.4% | 27 | $48,829 | $21,696 |
| 12 | CIP 11.0203 | 451 | 0.4% | 22 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 13 | CIP 30.7199 | 275 | 0.2% | 21 | — | — |
| 14 | Computer Programming, Othermain feeder CIP 11.0299 | 245 | 0.2% | 17 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 15 | CIP 30.7103 | 148 | 0.1% | 4 | — | — |
| 16 | CIP 51.0709 | 75 | 0.1% | 7 | $30,774 | $17,375 |
| 17 | Computer Programming, Specific Platformsmain feeder CIP 11.0205 | 57 | 0.0% | 8 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 3,267 | Computer Science | 46% | $11,580 | — |
| 2 | Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 2,267 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | 55% | $6,760 | 96% |
| 3 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 2,119 | Computer Science | 43% | $34,565 | 100% |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 1,708 | Computer Science | 68% | — | 90% |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 1,684 | Computer Science | 85% | — | 42% |
| 6 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 1,634 | Computer Science | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 7 | University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO Public · 1 feeder programs | 1,608 | Computer Science | 54% | — | 64% |
| 8 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 3 feeder programs | 1,393 | Computer Science | 89% | — | 45% |
| 9 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR Public · 2 feeder programs | 1,357 | Computer Science | 70% | — | 77% |
| 10 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 1,213 | Computer Science | 69% | — | 80% |
| 11 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · 3 feeder programs | 1,131 | Computer Science | 83% | — | 50% |
| 12 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 1,091 | Computer Science | 74% | — | 78% |
| 13 | Stanford University Stanford, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1,018 | Computer Science | 92% | $12,032 | 4% |
| 14 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,018 | Computer Science | 87% | — | 29% |
| 15 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 995 | Computer Science | 93% | — | 11% |
| 16 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 943 | Computer Science | 84% | — | 57% |
| 17 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 3 feeder programs | 932 | Computer Science | 90% | — | 38% |
| 18 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 910 | Computer Science | 95% | $17,613 | 9% |
| 19 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 901 | Computer Science | 83% | — | 60% |
| 20 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 885 | Computer Science | 85% | — | 42% |
| 21 | Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 884 | Computer Science | 42% | $18,824 | 80% |
| 22 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 882 | Computer Science | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 23 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 856 | Computer Science | 86% | — | 27% |
| 24 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 802 | Computer Science | 75% | $19,899 | 55% |
| 25 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 792 | Computer Science | 75% | — | 66% |
| 26 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 765 | Computer Science | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 27 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 743 | Computer Science | 85% | — | 80% |
| 28 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 3 feeder programs | 735 | Computer Science | 33% | — | — |
| 29 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA Public · 3 feeder programs | 729 | Computer Science | 53% | — | 55% |
| 30 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 2 feeder programs | 722 | Computer Science | 80% | — | 78% |
| 31 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 709 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | 20% | — | — |
| 32 | Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 700 | Computer Science | 19% | $16,966 | — |
| 33 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 694 | Computer Science | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 34 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 5 feeder programs | 691 | Computer Science | 65% | — | 86% |
| 35 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 684 | Computer Science | 96% | $11,666 | 5% |
| 36 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 679 | Computer Science | 70% | $28,133 | 67% |
| 37 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 676 | Computer Science | 70% | — | 91% |
| 38 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 666 | Computer Science | 94% | $23,803 | 12% |
| 39 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA Public · 3 feeder programs | 654 | Computer Science | 52% | — | 69% |
| 40 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 2 feeder programs | 651 | Computer Science | 76% | — | 49% |
| 41 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 631 | Computer Science | 85% | — | 39% |
| 42 | Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 628 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | 48% | — | — |
| 43 | University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 599 | Management Information Systems, General | 21% | $15,478 | — |
| 44 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 596 | Computer Science | 93% | — | 9% |
| 45 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 594 | Computer Science | 69% | — | 46% |
| 46 | Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 592 | Computer Science | 87% | $34,827 | 48% |
| 47 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 586 | Computer Science | 62% | — | 77% |
| 48 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 535 | Management Information Systems, General | 65% | — | 74% |
| 49 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Public · 2 feeder programs | 533 | Computer Science | 75% | — | 74% |
| 50 | Pace University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 529 | Computer Science | 60% | $29,994 | 76% |
What computer programmers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $116,760 | 11,340 | 1.05× | 173 | 19,634 |
| New York | $103,980 | 7,020 | 1.22× | 95 | 9,056 |
| Texas | $99,330 | 7,620 | 0.91× | 81 | 7,323 |
| Illinois | $72,540 | 1,280 | 0.35× | 70 | 7,320 |
| Massachusetts | $128,390 | 1,930 | 0.89× | 48 | 5,756 |
| Utah | $104,890 | 690 | 0.67× | 18 | 5,662 |
| Florida | $93,180 | 4,760 | 0.81× | 71 | 5,012 |
| Arizona | $88,990 | 1,560 | 0.81× | 29 | 4,267 |
| North Carolina | $81,070 | 4,120 | 1.41× | 27 | 4,060 |
| Missouri | $90,420 | 1,520 | 0.87× | 31 | 3,885 |
| Georgia | $98,380 | 1,890 | 0.65× | 39 | 3,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,180 | 3,120 | 0.87× | 75 | 3,664 |
| Indiana | $97,000 | 1,520 | 0.80× | 40 | 3,520 |
| Ohio | $85,270 | 2,100 | 0.64× | 60 | 3,240 |
| Maryland | $125,570 | 2,490 | 1.52× | 29 | 3,216 |
| Colorado | $104,610 | 930 | 0.54× | 23 | 2,991 |
| Washington | $125,620 | 2,540 | 1.21× | 48 | 2,798 |
| New Hampshire | $74,000 | — | — | 8 | 2,692 |
| Idaho | $89,020 | — | — | 6 | 2,609 |
| Minnesota | $107,250 | 2,070 | 1.18× | 48 | 2,305 |
| Oregon | $99,540 | 1,370 | 1.17× | 21 | 2,134 |
| Michigan | $65,860 | 4,400 | 1.69× | 51 | 1,913 |
| New Jersey | $104,940 | 3,930 | 1.55× | 33 | 1,877 |
| Virginia | $121,610 | 3,070 | 1.26× | 44 | 1,679 |
| Tennessee | — | 920 | 0.47× | 26 | 1,604 |
| Iowa | $79,180 | 950 | 1.03× | 30 | 1,433 |
| Connecticut | $133,820 | 1,650 | 1.64× | 15 | 1,221 |
| Alabama | $93,800 | 890 | 0.71× | 17 | 1,197 |
| Louisiana | — | 1,580 | 1.38× | 25 | 1,188 |
| Kentucky | $94,850 | 950 | 0.80× | 13 | 1,126 |
| Wisconsin | — | 3,080 | 1.77× | 38 | 1,085 |
| Oklahoma | $99,780 | 990 | 0.97× | 29 | 1,038 |
| District of Columbia | — | 230 | 0.54× | 6 | 782 |
| Rhode Island | $96,470 | 250 | 0.85× | 10 | 710 |
| Nevada | $93,600 | 840 | 0.91× | 5 | 675 |
| Arkansas | $111,840 | 1,050 | 1.36× | 25 | 603 |
| Nebraska | $95,150 | 1,090 | 1.79× | 11 | 600 |
| Kansas | $92,960 | 460 | 0.54× | 22 | 591 |
| South Carolina | $99,740 | 790 | 0.58× | 19 | 497 |
| Mississippi | $85,120 | 1,170 | 1.70× | 23 | 409 |
| Vermont | $89,560 | 170 | 0.94× | 8 | 346 |
| Delawaremoderate | — | 450 | 1.58× | 3 | 343 |
| Maine | $101,780 | 450 | 1.20× | 12 | 271 |
| Hawaii | $118,180 | 450 | 1.22× | 5 | 269 |
| West Virginia | $65,320 | 140 | 0.33× | 12 | 254 |
| Montana | $89,920 | — | — | 11 | 209 |
| North Dakota | $92,280 | 190 | 0.75× | 7 | 189 |
| New Mexico | $83,750 | 600 | 1.16× | 8 | 142 |
| South Dakota | $58,240 | 70 | 0.25× | 6 | 76 |
| Wyoming | $81,640 | 60 | 0.34× | 6 | 69 |
| Alaskalimited | $91,700 | 530 | 2.75× | 2 | 42 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Write, analyze, review, and rewrite programs, using workflow chart and diagram, and applying knowledge of computer capabilities, subject matter, and symbolic logic.
- Correct errors by making appropriate changes and rechecking the program to ensure that the desired results are produced.
- Perform or direct revision, repair, or expansion of existing programs to increase operating efficiency or adapt to new requirements.
- Write, update, and maintain computer programs or software packages to handle specific jobs such as tracking inventory, storing or retrieving data, or controlling other equipment.
- Consult with managerial, engineering, and technical personnel to clarify program intent, identify problems, and suggest changes.
- Conduct trial runs of programs and software applications to be sure they will produce the desired information and that the instructions are correct.
- Prepare detailed workflow charts and diagrams that describe input, output, and logical operation, and convert them into a series of instructions coded in a computer language.
- Compile and write documentation of program development and subsequent revisions, inserting comments in the coded instructions so others can understand the program.
Skills
- Active Listening3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Writing3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Mathematics3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Monitoring3.0
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics4.9
- Mathematics3.5
- Engineering and Technology3.5
- English Language3.4
- Customer and Personal Service3.3
- Administration and Management3.3
Abilities
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Oral Comprehension3.9
- Near Vision3.9
- Information Ordering3.8
- Inductive Reasoning3.8
- Deductive Reasoning3.8
Core activities
- Working with Computers5.0
- Processing Information4.6
- Analyzing Data or Information4.5
- Getting Information4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
- Thinking Creatively4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Computer Programmer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 17 majors mapped to Computer Programmers17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 11.0203Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
- 11.0204Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.0299Computer Programming, Other
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0803Computer Graphics
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
- 30.3001Computational Science
- 30.7101Data Analytics, General
- 30.7103Data Visualization
- 30.7199Data Analytics, Other
- 51.0709Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant
- 52.1201Management Information Systems, General
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Computer Programmer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Science, which awarded 88,326 degrees in 2024-25, 69.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Programmer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 17 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Computer Programming, Management Information Systems and Services, Computer Software and Media Applications, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 128,002 people a year.
How much do computer programmers earn?+
The median is $100,390 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $57,710 at the 10th percentile to $160,460 at the 90th. 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 programmers growing?+
BLS projects a -6.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 5,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,591 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 17 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 programmers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Programmer Analyst, Computer Programmer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1251.
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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