Computer Programming Degree
Students study software development languages, coding methodologies, debugging techniques, and application development for web, mobile, and desktop platforms. Graduates typically pursue careers as software developers, web developers, application programmers, and QA engineers at technology companies and corporate IT departments. Programming skills are among the most marketable in today's economy, with strong starting salaries.
What Computer Programming Graduates Do
Your day won’t be spent just writing code in a quiet room. As a software developer, the most common path, you’ll spend your morning in a team stand-up meeting, then dive into debugging a stubborn payment bug or collaborating with a designer to build a new user interface. You might also start as a software QA analyst, where your job is to be the expert at breaking the code your colleagues just wrote, finding its weaknesses before customers do. As you gain experience, you’ll move from fixing bugs to architecting entire systems.
While demand for software developers is growing rapidly, the classic "computer programmer" title is shrinking, and you need to know why. AI is fundamentally reshaping these roles. With extremely high AI exposure, tools now handle much of the routine coding that junior developers once did, meaning fewer entry-level jobs focused purely on writing lines of code. Your future value lies not in typing, but in designing complex systems, skillfully directing and evaluating AI-generated output, and making the critical judgment calls that machines cannot.
Common Career Paths
Where Computer Programming graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 162,300 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | 115,200 | +15.8% | 87% | |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | 14,000 | +10.0% | 88% | |
| Computer programmers | 5,500 | -6.0% | 95% | |
| Web and digital interface designers | 9,100 | +7.0% | 67% | |
| Computer science teachers, postsecondary | 3,500 | +5.3% | 51% | |
| Web developers | 5,400 | +7.5% | 93% | |
| Computer network support specialists | 9,600 | +1.8% | 63% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Computer Programming
Top 20 of 31 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI |
82 75–85 |
$80,830/yr | 18.6x |
| 2 | University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ |
79 72–81 |
$74,151/yr | 19.3x |
| 3 | Bellevue University Bellevue, NE |
79 71–81 |
$69,254/yr | 21.3x |
| 4 | DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA |
75 69–77 |
$102,580/yr | 7.1x |
| 5 | Herzing University-Birmingham Birmingham, AL |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 6 | Herzing University-Atlanta Atlanta, GA |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 7 | Herzing University-Minneapolis St. Louis Park, MN |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 8 | Herzing University-Akron Akron, OH |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 9 | Herzing University-Madison Madison, WI |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 10 | Herzing University-Orlando Winter Park, FL |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 11 | Herzing University-New Orleans Metairie, LA |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 12 | Herzing University-Kenosha Kenosha, WI |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 13 | Herzing University-Brookfield Brookfield, WI |
71 64–73 |
$50,242/yr | 14.4x |
| 14 | New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI |
70 62–72 |
$72,595/yr | 5.6x |
| 15 | DePaul University Chicago, IL |
69 61–71 |
$72,234/yr | 4.4x |
| 16 | Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY |
69 63–71 |
$45,383/yr | 19.4x |
| 17 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL |
68 61–71 |
$67,539/yr | 6.8x |
| 18 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA |
68 64–70 |
$42,668/yr | 29.5x |
| 19 | Fort Hays State University Hays, KS |
67 60–70 |
$57,162/yr | 24.4x |
| 20 | ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA |
65 58–67 |
$49,614/yr | 9.3x |
Highest Earning Computer Programming Programs
Schools where Computer Programming graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| DigiPen Institute of Technology | $102,580/yr | 75 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | $83,875/yr | 59 |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | $80,830/yr | 82 |
| Elon University | $79,819/yr | 59 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona | $74,151/yr | 79 |
| University of Phoenix-California | $74,151/yr | 59 |
| University of Phoenix-Texas | $74,151/yr | 59 |
| New England Institute of Technology | $72,595/yr | 70 |
| DePaul University | $72,234/yr | 69 |
| Bellevue University | $69,254/yr | 79 |
Best ROI for Computer Programming
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Computer Programming.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennesaw State University | 29.5x | $42,668/yr | 68 |
| Fort Hays State University | 24.4x | $57,162/yr | 67 |
| Bellevue University | 21.3x | $69,254/yr | 79 |
| Farmingdale State College | 19.4x | $45,383/yr | 69 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona | 19.3x | $74,151/yr | 79 |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | 18.6x | $80,830/yr | 82 |
| Herzing University-Birmingham | 14.4x | $50,242/yr | 71 |
| Herzing University-Atlanta | 14.4x | $50,242/yr | 71 |
| Herzing University-Minneapolis | 14.4x | $50,242/yr | 71 |
| Herzing University-Akron | 14.4x | $50,242/yr | 71 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Consider the Trade Route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Computer Programming offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.