Best Computer programs in Washington, ranked by enrollment
Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors.
43 schools in Washington run programs that feed this job, graduating 4,375 people a year. The job pays a median of $202,400 in Washington across about 2,050 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Washington that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
13 programs in Washington that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Washington (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 Washington page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Sciencemain feeder CIP 11.0701In Washington → | 2,044 | 46.7% | 34 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | Computer and Information Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 11.0101In Washington → | 670 | 15.3% | 8 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | Information Technologymain feeder CIP 11.0103In Washington → | 545 | 12.5% | 10 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 4 | Information Science/Studiesmain feeder CIP 11.0401In Washington → | 379 | 8.7% | 1 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 5 | Informaticsmain feeder CIP 11.0104In Washington → | 373 | 8.5% | 1 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 6 | CIP 30.3101In Washington → | 100 | 2.3% | 3 | $57,986 | $25,812 |
| 7 | CIP 11.0804In Washington → | 92 | 2.1% | 2 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 8 | CIP 30.7001In Washington → | 64 | 1.5% | 4 | — | — |
| 9 | Artificial Intelligencemain feeder CIP 11.0102In Washington → | 47 | 1.1% | 2 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 10 | CIP 11.0902In Washington → | 24 | 0.5% | 2 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 11 | CIP 30.7099In Washington → | 18 | 0.4% | 1 | — | — |
| 12 | CIP 51.2706In Washington → | 15 | 0.3% | 2 | $47,775 | $25,000 |
| 13 | CIP 26.1103In Washington → | 4 | 0.1% | 2 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
Top 25 schools in Washington
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 15 of the 43 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 8 feeder programs | 1,814 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 85% | — | 39% |
| 2 | University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 368 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $73,385 | 63% | — | 83% |
| 3 | University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 337 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 65% | — | 91% |
| 4 | Seattle University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 279 | Computer Science | $85,285 | 76% | $31,900 | 77% |
| 5 | Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 275 | Information Technology | $56,049 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 6 | Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 262 | Computer Science | $79,519 | 60% | — | 87% |
| 7 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 159 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $68,219 | 65% | — | 93% |
| 8 | DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 121 | Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation | $81,885 | 61% | $39,863 | 64% |
| 9 | Bellevue College Bellevue, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 62 | Computer Science | $73,214 | 36% | — | — |
| 10 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 60 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $67,004 | 43% | — | 91% |
| 11 | City University of Seattle Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 58 | Computer Science | — | — | $35,049 | — |
| 12 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 58 | Computer Science | $76,636 | 86% | $30,006 | 82% |
| 13 | Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 14 | Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 44 | Cloud Computing | — | 52% | $22,131 | 90% |
| 15 | North Seattle College Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Computer Science | — | 33% | — | — |
| 16 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Computer Science | $82,557 | 62% | $24,653 | 83% |
| 17 | Shoreline College Shoreline, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 18 | Whitworth University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 28 | Computer Science | $62,139 | 71% | $23,510 | 90% |
| 19 | Edmonds College Lynnwood, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 20 | Renton Technical College Renton, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Computer Science | — | 46% | — | — |
| 21 | Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Information Technology | — | 33% | — | — |
| 22 | Green River College Auburn, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 24 | Computer Science | — | 39% | — | — |
| 23 | Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 24 | Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Computer Science | — | 69% | $19,944 | 78% |
| 25 | Whitman College Walla Walla, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Computer Science | — | 81% | $28,508 | 38% |
All 43 schools in Washington
Every school in Washington 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 Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle | Public | 1,814 | 8 |
| University of Washington - Tacoma Campus | Tacoma | Public | 368 | 3 |
| University of Washington - Bothell Campus | Bothell | Public | 337 | 2 |
| Seattle University | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 279 | 2 |
| Central Washington University | Ellensburg | Public | 275 | 3 |
| Washington State University | Pullman | Public | 262 | 3 |
| Western Washington University | Bellingham | Public | 159 | 3 |
| DigiPen Institute of Technology | Redmond | Private for-profit | 121 | 3 |
| Bellevue College | Bellevue | Public | 62 | 1 |
| Eastern Washington University | Cheney | Public | 60 | 1 |
| City University of Seattle | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 58 | 3 |
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | Private not-for-profit | 58 | 1 |
| Tacoma Community College | Tacoma | Public | 51 | 1 |
| Saint Martin's University | Lacey | Private not-for-profit | 44 | 3 |
| North Seattle College | Seattle | Public | 42 | 1 |
What computer and information research scientists earn in Washington
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $140,300. Washington pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Washington employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Washington
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 Washington
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 Washington.
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 2,044 degrees in Washington in 2024-25, 46.7% 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 Science, Computer and Information Sciences, Information Science/Studies, Human Computer Interaction, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 4,375 people a year in Washington.
How much do computer and information research scientists earn in Washington?+
The median is $202,400 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 44.3% above 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 Washington?+
43 institutions in Washington 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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