MajorsMajor
Computer science: what you'd study and do
From public data · Every number cited
The short answer
Computer science is the study of how computers solve problems: programming, the math and logic underneath it, and how software and systems are designed and built. It leads to jobs like software developer, software tester and information security analyst. Most of those jobs are about working with other people as much as with code.
Try the job first
These lessons let you do a real task from the work. Those marked “Asks if you liked it” let you say so afterwards, and your answers collect in one place.
- Who works at a software company12 minFreeAsks if you liked it
- How a software company makes money14 minFree
- How a software company ships a feature14 min(members-only)(included in your membership)Asks if you liked it
- How a game update ships14 min(members-only)(included in your membership)Asks if you liked it
See what you've answered so far in Your major match.
What you'd study
Every college's program is a little different. These are the kinds of classes most of them have.
Programming and the ideas underneath
Every college's program is different, but most start with programming classes, then the ideas behind them: how to design step-by-step solutions (algorithms) and organize data so a program runs fast, plus the math computer scientists use, like discrete math, statistics and often calculus. The US government's description of the major covers computer theory, solving computing problems, programming and designing computer systems and user interfaces.
How computers and software work
Then come classes on what's inside: how a computer is built, operating systems, networks, databases and security. The 2023 curriculum guide from the main computing societies (ACM, IEEE Computer Society and AAAI) also lists software engineering, human-computer interaction (designing for the people who use it), artificial intelligence, graphics, and society, ethics and the profession.
Building things with a team
Many programs end with a team project, sometimes for a real company, and many students do an internship. BLS says internships, such as at a software company, help students get experience before they graduate.
Jobs it leads to
Median pay means half the people in the job earn more and half earn less. Pay also changes with the place, the employer and experience.
Software developers
A day at work
You find out what the people using the software need, then design, build and test it, and fix what breaks. Most of the day is with a team: a short daily meeting, reading a teammate's code before it's added, working out details with designers and product managers, and fixing problems that customers report. BLS expects about 106,100 openings a year
for developers and testers together, and growth of 10% from 2025 to 2035, which it calls much faster than average. - Median pay
- $135,980
/year - Expected job growth
- 10%
The usual start
Usually a bachelor's degree in computer and information technology or a related field, such as engineering or math. Some employers prefer a master's degree for some jobs.
Numbers from bls.gov ·2025
Software quality assurance analysts and testers
A day at work
You try the software before customers do. You write test plans, run tests by hand and with programs that test automatically, write up each problem so a developer can fix it, and tell the team whether it's ready. There were 187,600 jobs
in 2025. BLS gives one growth figure for developers and testers together. - Median pay
- $104,300
/year - Expected job growth
- 10%
The usual start
Usually a bachelor's degree in computer and information technology or a related field.
Numbers from bls.gov ·2025
Information security analysts
A day at work
You protect a company's computers and networks. You watch for break-ins, keep security software running, test for weak spots before attackers find them, write reports and help plan what to do if something goes wrong. BLS expects about 14,100 openings a year
and growth of 21% from 2025 to 2035. Some analysts are on call for emergencies outside normal hours. - Median pay
- $129,180
/year - Expected job growth
- 21%
The usual start
Usually a bachelor's degree in a computer science field. BLS says many first work in IT, often as network and computer systems administrators, and some get in with a high school diploma plus industry training and certifications.
Numbers from bls.gov ·2025
How to read the growth numbers
BLS expects all US jobs together to grow 3.5%
The pay on each card is the median: half of the workers earn more and half earn less. Pay changes a lot by place, company and experience.
Pay isn't everything
It's desk work, and team work. Among software developers who answered the work survey of O*NET, the US Labor Department's database of jobs, 71%
People who tend to enjoy it like puzzles that take hours, building something and seeing people use it, and explaining their thinking to others. BLS says development is usually collaborative: developers work in teams with others who design, program and test the software.
No license is needed. Some jobs, especially in security, value certifications you can earn later.
After graduating
The New York Fed looked at people who majored in computer science, using Census survey data for 2024. Among full-time workers with only a bachelor's degree, the middle pay was $87,000
Pay is high, but recent graduates haven't all found jobs: the unemployment rate of recent computer science graduates was 7.0%
The College Scorecard, from the US Department of Education, shows what graduates of each college's programs earned a few years later. Read it with its own warnings: it counts only students who got federal grants or loans, it leaves out graduates who didn't work that year or went back to school, and pay soon after college may not show pay later on. You can look up any college at collegescorecard.ed.gov.
- Computer science, early career: $87,000
- All majors, early career: $58,000
- Computer science, mid-career: $120,000
- All majors, mid-career: $87,000
Dollars per year.
Median pay of full-time workers with only a bachelor's degree, 2024, New York Fed. Context, not a ranking.
Sources:newyorkfed.org ·2024
You don't need this major to work here
Software companies hire many people who didn't study computer science: in sales, support, marketing, design and product. Even for technical jobs, BLS lists related fields like engineering or math, and says some security analysts get in through IT work and certifications instead.
Related majors
Also related: Computer engineering, Information systems or business analytics, Mathematics or statistics, Data science.
Common questions
- Do I need to be good at math?
You'll use math, especially logic and discrete math, and most programs ask for some calculus and statistics. But much of the work is careful thinking and explaining your ideas to a team.
- Is computer science the same as coding?
Coding is a big part of it, but the major also covers why programs work, how computers and networks are built, and how to design software that people can use. The computing societies' 2023 curriculum guide lists areas from algorithms to security to ethics.
- Can I work at a software company without this major?
Yes. Most people at software publishers aren't developers: they sell, support, market, design and manage. The lessons on who works at a software company show who does what.
- Do I need a license?
No. Some jobs, especially in security, value certifications you can earn later.
- Which college is best for computer science?
We don't rank colleges. Programs differ in their classes, projects and internships, and the College Scorecard lets you look up any college.
- What do these jobs pay?
BLS's median for software developers was $135,980
/year bls.gov ·2025 in May 2025, and $129,180 /year bls.gov ·2025 for information security analysts. Half earn more and half earn less, and pay changes a lot by place, company and experience. Pay is one thing to weigh; how the work feels day to day is another.