undergradly.
Major · Computer & Information Sciences

A flexible computing catchall whose substance varies by school

Computer and Information Sciences, Other (CIP 11.0199) is a catchall code for non-standard computing programs that don’t fit a named bucket. About 1,634 students complete it across 69 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $90,128 in five-year tracked wages.

Schools offering
69
Annual completions
1,634
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$83k

About this major

Computer and Information Sciences, Other (CIP 11.0199) is a residual classification — the federal CIP definition is literally any instructional program in computer science not listed above. Universities apply this code to non-standard computing programs that don’t fit a named bucket like Computer Science (11.0701) or Information Technology (11.0103): interdisciplinary CS-and-humanities tracks, specialized analytics curricula, blockchain studies, applied-computing concentrations, and other one-off programs. Specific coursework varies considerably by institution, so the credential name on a transcript tells employers very little about what was studied — the program’s actual catalog matters far more than the CIP code.

This path tends to fit students who pick a school first and a major second, then discover their target school codes its computing degree under the residual CIP rather than a named one. The major rewards quantitative aptitude, comfort with abstraction, and the patience to debug. The interdisciplinary version of the program also fits students who want computing fused with another domain — design, public policy, biology, or humanities — rather than a pure-CS curriculum focused on systems and theory.

At the scale level, 1,634 students complete this CIP across 69 institutions, with the distribution heavily concentrated: UC Berkeley alone accounts for 771 graduates, followed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (149) and Temple University (95). Bachelor’s graduates earn $90,128 in five-year tracked wages — competitive with named CS bachelor’s outcomes — while associate’s graduates earn $55,645. Named SOC destinations in the packet, including computer and information research scientists ($140,910) and computer science teachers, postsecondary ($96,690), require master’s or doctoral study and represent long-term outcomes rather than entry-level destinations.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Computer science teachers, postsecondary $97k +5.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Computer and information research scientists $141k +19.7% Master's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$83k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$56k

Bachelor's

$90k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if your target school happens to code its computing bachelor’s under 11.0199 (UC Berkeley, Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Temple) and the actual curriculum covers standard CS fundamentals like data structures, algorithms, and systems, you want a computing major that fuses with another field — design, public policy, biology, humanities — rather than a pure-CS sequence, you’re comfortable with abstraction and quantitative coursework, you’re prepared to read course catalogs carefully because the CIP code itself tells you almost nothing about content, and the bachelor’s wage of $90,128 matches your expectations.

Think twice if you’re shopping the major nationally rather than the school — the residual nature of this CIP means program substance varies sharply, and a $90,128 national average is heavily Berkeley-weighted rather than representative of every program. Reconsider if you’re considering an associate’s as a terminal credential; the $34,483 gap between bachelor’s ($90,128) and associate’s ($55,645) earnings, combined with the bachelor’s expectation in most named computing roles, points toward a transfer plan instead. Pause if you want clear employer recognition of a named CS credential — some hiring managers screen by CIP-aligned majors like Computer Science (11.0701) or Information Technology (11.0103), and the residual code can require an extra interview-stage explanation of what your program actually covered.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Computer and Information Sciences, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 0 771 771
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 0 149 149
Temple University Philadelphia, PA 0 95 95
California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA 0 75 75
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS 55 0 55
California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA 0 52 52
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL 0 48 48
University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI 0 42 42
Brigham Young University Provo, UT 0 36 36
California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA 0 34 34
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Computer and Information Sciences, General

34,556 completions/yr

Information Technology

20,296 completions/yr

Information Science/Studies

10,334 completions/yr

Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

2,089 completions/yr

Informatics

1,513 completions/yr

Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other

969 completions/yr

Human Computer Interaction

813 completions/yr

Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation

717 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does Computer and Information Sciences, Other actually mean?
The CIP definition is literally any instructional program in computer science not listed above — a residual category for non-standard computing programs that don’t fit a named code like Computer Science (11.0701) or Information Technology (11.0103). Universities use it for interdisciplinary CS programs, specialized analytics tracks, blockchain studies, and other one-off curricula. About 1,634 students complete it nationally across 69 institutions, but specific coursework varies considerably by school. Read the program page at your target school carefully — the credential name is identical, the substance is not.
How does this compare to Computer Science (11.0701) or Information Science/Studies (11.0401)?
Computer Science (11.0701) is the named, standard CS bachelor’s — heavy on algorithms, theory, and software engineering. Information Science/Studies (11.0401) shows 10,334 completions and emphasizes information organization, retrieval, and human-information interaction. The 11.0199 catchall sits between and beyond these — it captures programs schools couldn’t fit into a named code. Sibling codes within 11.01 include Computer and Information Sciences, General (34,556 completions) and Information Technology (20,296 completions), which together dwarf the Other bucket. Choose 11.0199 only after reading the specific program description; the CIP code itself tells you almost nothing about content.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The data packet lists computer and information research scientists ($140,910 median, 19.7% growth, master’s typical) and computer science teachers, postsecondary ($96,690, 5.3% growth, doctoral typical) as named SOC destinations — but both require graduate study. Realistic bachelor’s-level destinations depend on the specific program track and mirror the named CIP destinations: software developer, data analyst, systems analyst, or IT roles for traditional CS-leaning programs; user-experience or analytics roles for interdisciplinary tracks. Bachelor’s graduates earn $90,128 in five-year tracked wages, competitive with named CS bachelor’s outcomes — though the spread across program types is wide.
Is the associate’s or bachelor’s the right level here?
The data packet shows a $34,483 gap: bachelor’s graduates earn $90,128 in five-year tracked wages versus $55,645 for associate’s graduates. Most named computing roles assume a bachelor’s, and the residual nature of this CIP makes the bachelor’s especially important — employers reading a transcript want to see specific upper-division coursework (data structures, algorithms, systems, networking) that an associate’s rarely covers. The community-college associate’s presence here, like Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s 55 graduates, is best treated as a stepping stone toward a four-year transfer rather than a terminal credential.
Why is UC Berkeley dominating this code?
UC Berkeley alone accounts for 771 of the 1,634 national completions — roughly 47% of national output — followed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (149) and Temple (95). Berkeley’s scale here reflects how it codes its undergraduate computing degrees in IPEDS rather than a Berkeley-specific program flavor. The lopsided distribution means national earnings figures are heavily influenced by Berkeley graduates, who tend to earn well above the national CS-bachelor’s average — read the $90,128 wage as a weighted average dominated by one elite program, not as the median experience at a typical 11.0199 program.
What if I’m considering this major over a named CS program?
Treat the CIP code as a label, not a curriculum. Pull the actual course catalog at your target school and compare it to the standard CS bachelor’s sequence (data structures, algorithms, operating systems, theory of computation, software engineering, networks). If the 11.0199 program covers that core, employer reception will be similar to a named CS degree. If it omits chunks of that core in favor of an interdisciplinary or applied focus, you may need to compensate with internships, portfolio projects, or graduate study to land traditional software-engineering roles. Related siblings to consider include Informatics (11.0104, 1,513 completions), Human-Computer Interaction (30.3101, 813), and Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (11.0804, 717).