Ohio·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1221

Best Computer programs in Ohio, ranked by enrollment

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

65 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 5,317 people a year. The job pays a median of $135,510 in Ohio across about 280 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledComputer ScientistResearch ScientistComputer SpecialistControl System Computer ScientistScientistCryptologistApplied ScientistResearch Engineer
Graduates / yr
5,317
in Ohio
Median pay · Ohio
$135,510
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
280
people employed
Schools
65
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
49%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,239
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job

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

12 programs in Ohio that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (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 Ohio page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
Computer Sciencemain feeder
CIP 11.0701In Ohio
1,803
33.9%
37$70,374$23,250
2
CIP 11.0101In Ohio
1,365
25.7%
25$57,986$24,286
3
CIP 11.0103In Ohio
1,123
21.1%
14$57,986$24,286
4
CIP 11.0401In Ohio
518
9.7%
11$57,313$25,833
5
CIP 51.2706In Ohio
209
3.9%
8$47,775$25,000
6
CIP 30.7001In Ohio
166
3.1%
12
7
CIP 11.0102In Ohio
55
1.0%
5$57,986$24,286
8
CIP 11.0804In Ohio
43
0.8%
2$33,504$27,000
9
CIP 30.3101In Ohio
22
0.4%
1$57,986$25,812
10
CIP 26.1103In Ohio
7
0.1%
4$72,338$18,500
11
Informaticsmain feeder
CIP 11.0104In Ohio
3
0.1%
2$57,986$24,286
12
CIP 11.0199In Ohio
3
0.1%
1$57,986$24,286

Top 25 schools in Ohio

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 25 of the 65 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH Public · 6 feeder programs
1,260Information Technology$69,54875%85%
2Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH Public · 5 feeder programs
475Information Science/Studies$57,66151%91%
3Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH Public · 6 feeder programs
409Computer Science$60,05164%86%
4Wright State University - Main Campus
Dayton, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
360Computer and Information Sciences, General$69,07142%96%
5University of Dayton
Dayton, OH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
357Computer Science$74,05280%$28,56065%
6Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs
284Computer Science$95,68887%$27,97637%
7Franklin University
Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
249Information Technology$63,31011%$22,280
8Columbus State Community College
Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
214Computer and Information Sciences, General28%
9Miami University - Oxford
Oxford, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
203Computer Science80%75%
10Ohio State University - Main Campus
Columbus, OH Public · 4 feeder programs
191Computer and Information Sciences, General$82,44888%61%
11University of Toledo
Toledo, OH Public · 6 feeder programs
120Information Science/Studies$50,92057%92%
12Lakeland Community College
Kirtland, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
116Computer and Information Sciences, General24%
13The University of Findlay
Findlay, OH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
101Medical Informatics58%$23,12883%
14Ohio University - Main Campus
Athens, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
93Computer Science$73,93265%85%
15Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
76Computer Science$66,67450%84%
16Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Bowling Green, OH Public · 3 feeder programs
61Information Science/Studies$60,35964%81%
17Denison University
Granville, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
61Computer Science79%$23,86417%
18The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
54Computer Science74%$22,49160%
19Cuyahoga Community College District
Cleveland, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
52Information Science/Studies$45,23831%
20Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
43Computer and Information Sciences, General81%$28,31334%
21Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
37Computer Science$76,61573%$22,70165%
22University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH Public · 3 feeder programs
36Computer Science52%60%
23Sinclair Community College
Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
35Computer and Information Sciences, General41%
24Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
33Computer Science$73,54669%$31,11986%
25John Carroll University
University Heights, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
31Computer Science$65,71679%$25,70581%

All 65 schools in Ohio

Every school in Ohio 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 Ohio that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnatiPublic1,2606
Cleveland State UniversityClevelandPublic4755
Kent State University at KentKentPublic4096
Wright State University - Main CampusDaytonPublic3602
University of DaytonDaytonPrivate not-for-profit3573
Case Western Reserve UniversityClevelandPrivate not-for-profit2845
Franklin UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for-profit2494
Columbus State Community CollegeColumbusPublic2141
Miami University - OxfordOxfordPublic2031
Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbusPublic1914
University of ToledoToledoPublic1206
Lakeland Community CollegeKirtlandPublic1162
The University of FindlayFindlayPrivate not-for-profit1013
Ohio University - Main CampusAthensPublic932
Youngstown State UniversityYoungstownPublic762

What computer and information research scientists earn in Ohio

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

Median annual in Ohio
$135,510
Mean annual
$126,370
Jobs in state
280
What the range looks like
10th pct$44,920Median$135,51090th pct$173,510
Versus the national median
-3.4%

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

Job concentration
0.21×

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

Metro areas in Ohio

Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
$137,300median
160 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$155,910median
50 jobs
Cleveland, OH
$126,860median
40 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 Ohio

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 Ohio.

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 Science, which awarded 1,803 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 33.9% 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, Medical Illustration and Informatics, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 5,317 people a year in Ohio.

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

The median is $135,510 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 3.4% 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 Ohio?+

65 institutions in Ohio 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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