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Major · Computer & Information Sciences

Writing code from the ground up — what programming actually looks like as a degree

Computer Programming/Programmer, General focuses on the craft of writing, customizing, and maintaining software — covering low- and high-level languages, program design, prototype testing, and troubleshooting. Around 5,200 students complete this major each year across 339 colleges. It sits closer to the applied end of computing than Computer Science, which awards ten times as many degrees annually.

Schools offering
339
Annual completions
5,205
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Computer Programming/Programmer, General is a degree built around the craft of writing and implementing software. Where Computer Science studies computation from a theoretical foundation — algorithms, proofs, formal systems — this major focuses on the practical work: learning languages, writing programs that function reliably, linking and customizing code, testing prototypes, and troubleshooting when things break. The CIP definition frames it explicitly around software design and programming methods applied to installation and maintenance, and that emphasis on application shows in the curriculum.

Coursework typically moves from programming fundamentals and software design concepts into lower-level work with how programs interact with operating systems, and then into areas like network integration and program customization. Students who gravitate toward this major often want to build things that work rather than derive formal models of why they work. The major tends to suit people who learn by doing — by writing code, hitting errors, fixing them, and repeating.

The 5,205 annual completions recorded for this major are modest relative to Computer Science (over 50,000) or Information Technology (around 20,000), but the 339 colleges offering it include a wide range: large online universities like Western Governors University (367 completions), community colleges like San Jacinto and Diablo Valley, and four-year institutions like DePaul and Rowan. Career destinations include software developers at a $133,080 median wage, software quality assurance analysts at $102,610, and web developers at $90,930. The occupation literally called 'computer programmers' shows a -6% projected decline — the work hasn't disappeared, it has migrated into the broader software developer category.

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
Software developers $133k +15.8% Bachelor's degree
Software quality assurance analysts and testers $103k +10.0% Bachelor's degree
Computer network support specialists $73k +1.8% Associate's degree
Web and digital interface designers $98k +7.0% Bachelor's degree
Computer programmers $99k -6.0% Bachelor's degree
Web developers $91k +7.5% Bachelor's degree
Computer science teachers, postsecondary $97k +5.3% Doctoral or professional 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

$69k

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

Associate's

$60k

Bachelor's

$84k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you want to spend most of your academic time writing actual code rather than working through theoretical proofs or systems administration coursework. You may also fit well here if your goal is to enter software development or quality assurance without the heavier mathematics load of a Computer Science degree — the bachelor's track in this major shows a median five-year earnings figure around $83,945, well within reach of the roles listed. If you are drawn to building functional programs, debugging at the code level, and understanding how software integrates with operating systems, the subject matter of this major will feel like work rather than obstacle.

Think twice if you are specifically aiming for the title 'computer programmer' as a career endpoint — the BLS projects that occupation to shrink by 6%, reflecting how standalone coding roles have been absorbed into software development positions. Think twice, too, if you are considering stopping at an associate's: the earnings gap between an associate's ($59,787 median) and a bachelor's ($83,945 median) is substantial enough to make the four-year path worth examining before you commit to two. And if you want the deepest theoretical grounding in how computing systems work — the kind that opens graduate school or research paths — Computer Science, with its larger program infrastructure and more math-intensive curriculum, may be the better starting point.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Computer Programming/Programmer, General

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT 0 367 367
Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID 18 183 201
San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX 172 0 172
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill, CA 153 0 153
DePaul University Chicago, IL 0 134 134
Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 0 119 119
Austin Community College District Austin, TX 88 30 118
Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY 0 113 113
Fort Hays State University Hays, KS 0 102 102
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA 100 0 100
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Computer Science

50,272 completions/yr

Computer and Information Sciences, General

34,556 completions/yr

Information Technology

20,296 completions/yr

Information Science/Studies

10,334 completions/yr

Computer Engineering, General

9,312 completions/yr

Management Information Systems, General

7,648 completions/yr

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

3,699 completions/yr

Computer Software Engineering

2,766 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Computer Programming majors actually study day-to-day?
The curriculum centers on writing code in multiple languages — both low-level (closer to machine instructions) and high-level (closer to human-readable syntax) — and on understanding how programs integrate with operating systems and networks. Coursework typically covers software design principles, program customization and linking, prototype testing, and troubleshooting. You spend a lot of time writing, running, and debugging programs, not studying computation theory. The emphasis is on building working software, which makes the day-to-day more applied than a Computer Science program.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for Computer Programming?
The earnings data suggests the degree level matters here. Associate's completers in this major report median five-year earnings around $59,787, while bachelor's completers report about $83,945 — a gap of roughly $24,000. Several of the careers most commonly associated with this major, including software developer at a $133,080 median wage and software quality assurance analyst at $102,610, list a bachelor's as the typical entry credential. Computer network support specialist, which lists an associate's as typical, carries a $73,340 median wage and only 1.8% projected job growth. An associate's can get you into the workforce faster, but the bachelor's opens higher-paying trajectories.
What kinds of jobs do Computer Programming graduates end up in?
The career map for this major spans a notable range of wages and outlooks. Software developers sit at the high end — $133,080 median wage, 15.8% projected growth. Software quality assurance analysts and testers earn a $102,610 median with 10% growth. Web developers and digital interface designers hover around the $90,000–$98,000 range with modest growth projections. The occupation literally titled 'computer programmers' tells a more complicated story: its median wage is $98,670, but its projected job growth is negative 6%. That contraction reflects how the broader programming role has been absorbed into software development and adjacent specializations.
Why does the 'computer programmers' job title show negative growth?
The BLS projects a -6% decline for the specific occupation coded as 'computer programmers' (SOC 15-1251). This reflects a structural shift: standalone programming work has largely been absorbed into broader roles like software developer and software engineer, which require programming ability but also design, architecture, and product judgment. The skills you build in this major are still in demand — they just tend to lead to titles like 'software developer' rather than 'programmer.' Understanding that distinction matters when you are job-searching and evaluating where the growth actually lives.
How does this major compare to Computer Science or Information Technology?
Computer Science is the larger, more theory-intensive sibling — over 50,000 completions per year versus about 5,200 for this major. CS programs lean on algorithms, discrete mathematics, and computational theory before getting into applied work. Information Technology, with roughly 20,000 annual completions, tends to focus on systems administration, networking, and IT operations rather than software construction. Computer Programming sits between them: more applied than CS, more code-oriented than IT. The career destinations overlap substantially, but the depth of theory you engage with differs meaningfully.
What's a realistic earnings picture after this degree?
Five-year median earnings for Computer Programming completers sit around $68,776 across degree levels. The bachelor's track shows a median closer to $83,945, while the associate's track is around $59,787. The ceiling for roles that draw on this major — software development, quality assurance, web development — spans from roughly $91,000 to $133,000 depending on specialization and experience level. Those upper figures require several years of work and typically a bachelor's. The overall earnings picture is solid relative to most majors, though it trails Computer Science, which has higher median earnings partly because it draws more graduates into senior engineering and management roles.