Best degree programs for Computer Systems Analysts, ranked by enrollment
4 college programs and 1,615 schools train Computer Systems Analysts. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $105,850 median wage, 519,530 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
4 college programs at 1,615 schools train computer systems analysts, graduating 139,951 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Computer and Information Sciences, General. The job pays a median of $105,850 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About computer systems analysts
Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to develop and implement solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Perform systems management and integration functions, improve existing computer systems, and review computer system capabilities, workflow, and schedule limitations. May analyze or recommend commercially available software.
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.
4 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 11.0101 | 73,454 | 52.5% | 879 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0103 | 48,440 | 34.6% | 671 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0901 | 15,062 | 10.8% | 463 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 4 | Computer Systems Analysis/Analystmain feeder CIP 11.0501 | 2,995 | 2.1% | 81 | $51,805 | $46,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What computer systems analysts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $107,390 | 47,990 | 1.02× | 95 | 13,970 |
| Florida | $101,900 | 35,270 | 1.06× | 80 | 10,214 |
| California | $127,720 | 59,060 | 0.97× | 143 | 8,524 |
| North Carolina | $106,850 | 20,910 | 1.27× | 81 | 7,955 |
| Georgia | $106,240 | 11,640 | 0.71× | 33 | 7,023 |
| Illinois | $101,570 | 20,610 | 1.01× | 64 | 7,020 |
| Virginia | $120,840 | 23,190 | 1.69× | 50 | 6,350 |
| New York | $109,610 | 24,100 | 0.74× | 72 | 5,939 |
| Kentucky | $95,090 | 5,930 | 0.89× | 30 | 5,830 |
| Utah | $98,770 | 2,950 | 0.51× | 18 | 4,821 |
| New Jersey | $122,890 | 16,520 | 1.15× | 46 | 4,238 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,550 | 19,450 | 0.96× | 77 | 4,138 |
| Michigan | $103,410 | 14,070 | 0.96× | 47 | 4,071 |
| Arizona | $103,530 | 11,330 | 1.05× | 30 | 4,017 |
| Ohio | $102,320 | 19,190 | 1.03× | 51 | 3,814 |
| Missouri | $92,060 | 7,730 | 0.79× | 42 | 3,622 |
| Massachusetts | $128,240 | 22,160 | 1.82× | 37 | 3,392 |
| Colorado | $127,750 | 6,230 | 0.65× | 22 | 2,897 |
| Indiana | $98,810 | 9,660 | 0.90× | 26 | 2,882 |
| Alabama | $101,770 | 6,560 | 0.93× | 40 | 2,842 |
| Maryland | $113,610 | 15,340 | 1.66× | 35 | 2,523 |
| Wisconsin | $100,440 | 8,340 | 0.85× | 33 | 2,369 |
| New Hampshire | $107,670 | 2,090 | 0.92× | 15 | 2,344 |
| Washington | $129,410 | 24,120 | 2.03× | 32 | 1,579 |
| Oklahoma | $95,930 | 3,710 | 0.65× | 37 | 1,496 |
| Tennessee | $95,630 | 10,220 | 0.93× | 39 | 1,457 |
| Arkansas | $81,760 | 4,100 | 0.94× | 27 | 1,427 |
| Louisiana | $95,660 | 2,980 | 0.46× | 18 | 1,328 |
| Connecticut | $109,600 | 4,800 | 0.85× | 16 | 1,265 |
| Nebraska | $91,810 | 2,440 | 0.71× | 15 | 1,135 |
| Minnesota | $106,350 | 11,330 | 1.15× | 27 | 1,086 |
| South Carolina | $98,280 | 7,700 | 1.00× | 22 | 1,062 |
| Mississippi | $86,280 | 1,990 | 0.51× | 19 | 1,005 |
| Kansas | $100,770 | 3,740 | 0.78× | 19 | 718 |
| Idaho | $75,310 | 1,650 | 0.57× | 8 | 653 |
| New Mexico | $98,220 | 2,290 | 0.79× | 15 | 564 |
| Nevada | $104,060 | 2,540 | 0.49× | 6 | 534 |
| West Virginia | — | 1,030 | 0.44× | 20 | 491 |
| Iowa | $95,920 | 4,760 | 0.91× | 21 | 478 |
| District of Columbia | $116,820 | 2,480 | 1.06× | 5 | 459 |
| South Dakota | $99,790 | 1,110 | 0.73× | 9 | 431 |
| Oregon | $121,620 | 5,640 | 0.86× | 17 | 412 |
| Delawaremoderate | $110,560 | 2,140 | 1.32× | 4 | 348 |
| Hawaii | $88,640 | 1,670 | 0.79× | 6 | 277 |
| Rhode Island | $134,630 | 1,850 | 1.10× | 5 | 210 |
| North Dakota | $105,470 | 280 | 0.20× | 10 | 191 |
| Wyoming | $109,780 | 310 | 0.33× | 5 | 50 |
| Vermontmoderate | $99,610 | 590 | 0.58× | 4 | 48 |
| Maine | $95,820 | 2,480 | 1.16× | 6 | 47 |
| Montana | $91,310 | 850 | 0.50× | 9 | 39 |
| Alaskalimited | $88,520 | 420 | 0.39× | 2 | 18 |
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
- Troubleshoot program and system malfunctions to restore normal functioning.
- Provide staff and users with assistance solving computer-related problems, such as malfunctions and program problems.
- Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
- Use the computer in the analysis and solution of business problems, such as development of integrated production and inventory control and cost analysis systems.
- Coordinate and link the computer systems within an organization to increase compatibility so that information can be shared.
- Use object-oriented programming languages, as well as client and server applications development processes and multimedia and Internet technology.
- Analyze information processing or computation needs and plan and design computer systems, using techniques such as structured analysis, data modeling, and information engineering.
- Consult with management to ensure agreement on system principles.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.7
- Active Learning3.7
- Monitoring3.5
- Learning Strategies3.4
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics4.4
- English Language3.8
- Customer and Personal Service3.6
- Administration and Management3.3
- Education and Training3.3
- Mathematics3.3
Abilities
- Written Comprehension4.1
- Deductive Reasoning4.1
- Oral Expression4.0
- Problem Sensitivity3.9
- Inductive Reasoning3.9
- Oral Comprehension3.9
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.9
- Getting Information4.6
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.6
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.4
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.3
- Processing Information4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Computer Systems Analyst
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 4 majors mapped to Computer Systems Analysts4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General
- 11.0103Information Technology
- 11.0501Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
- 11.0901Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
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 Systems Analyst?+
Bachelor'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 73,454 degrees in 2024-25, 52.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Systems Analyst?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications, Computer Systems Analysis. Together they graduate about 139,951 people a year.
How much do computer systems analysts earn?+
The median is $105,850 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $67,340 at the 10th percentile to $167,710 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 systems analysts growing?+
BLS projects a +8.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 34,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,615 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 4 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 systems analysts work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Systems Analyst, Programmer Analyst, Health Informaticist, Clinical Informaticist, Business Systems Analyst, Computer Systems Analyst among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1211.
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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