Is a Computer Science Degree Worth It?

What is a computer science degree

It seems like everywhere we turn in computers are all around us. To be honest, they've been everything with decades now. Imagine studying computers and computational sciences? Imagine researching software systems. Consider the development and application that goes into it all. That is computer science.

There are a few principal areas of study to earn this degree. These include networking security and artificial intelligence. It also entails database systems, numerical analysis and more.

The main cusp of the degree is programming. As in programming languages and software engineering.

Let's take a moment now to discuss the demand such a degree has, pay you may expect and more.

What's Computer Science Job Outlook ?

As we stated before we can't ignore the impact computers and computing systems have had on the world. With an interest, comes a demand for computer science engineers.

Even this we continue to see growth. The U.S. Department of Labor and Statics is even showing this. They expect a 13% growth starting in 2016 through 2026. This is faster than the average growth of other fields. By 2026, they also expect over 500K new computer science jobs.

What this means is that the demand is there and computer science is a great degree to pursue. Whether the effort is worth the reward is a different story.

Is a Computer Science Degree Hard to Earn?

As stated before, there are different types of computer science majors. Somebody may thrive at engineering and find it a breeze. That same person may also struggle at programming.

The correct (or easy) path to a computer science degree will differ for everybody.

My suggestion is to get your feet wet. Try a few classes and see which ones you connect best with. In time you will find a field of study you find passion in. This will likely be the degree you ultimate pursue.

Although many of you will find motivation in money. Even if you find a particular field of study harder, if the opportunity to earn more income is there, you may go for it.

What's Computer Science Starting Salary ?

As of 2018, the average salary for computer science occupations was over $86K a year. Now it is important to understand that this is an average across all degrees in the field. Obviously you have different types of computer science jobs. The pay will differ a lot between task to task.

Case in point, a software engineer can earn a median salary of $110K. This specific job is expected to grow by almost 13% through 2029. Then on the lower end of the spectrum is a systems analysts. So this job has a medium pay of $62K. The grow through 2029 is 10%. So we're comparing these two types of computer science jobs and see different growth.

Plus let us not forget these are median salaries. The pay will differ a lot state to state and city to city.

The most important thing to keep an eye on here is growth. As demand grows so will pay. This is why a computer science degree can be a solid choice.

Accelerated Computer Science Degree Online vs In-Person Studies

There a tons of big time colleges offering computer science degrees.

Best Universities for Computer Science in the USA

  1. University of California — Berkeley
  2. Oregon State University
  3. University of Maryland — College Park

There are also schools offering computer science degrees online. Some of the more popular choices include.

Best Online Computer Science Degree ?

  1. Southern New Hampshire University
  2. Davenport University
  3. Oregon State University

Online degrees offer many benefits such as learning at your own pace, cost savings and more. Yet many will argue it lacks the atmosphere that a real school provides. This includes face-to-face interactions with professors, making friends with alumni, etc.

What matters most how the computer science programs differ between options. Do your own research about each school, talk to former students and see what option fits you best.

In the end, you want to earn a degree in computer science. More than that you want to earn a degree that puts you in demand to find a job that pays well.

So, is a computer science degree worth the effort?

Consider the rise in jobs demanding the skillet and an ever-growing interest. I'd have to say "yes, it's in demand" and should remain in demand for a long time.

If you have other questions about a computer science degree checkout these links.