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Major · Computer Sciences

An applied-programming credential for software-customization work

Computer Programming, Specific Applications (CIP 11.0202) prepares students to apply programming skills to specific software customization and operational work. About 861 students complete it across 91 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $83,945 in tracked five-year wages.

Schools offering
91
Annual completions
861
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Computer Programming, Specific Applications (CIP 11.0202) is an applied-programming credential preparing students to solve specific operational problems and customization requirements presented by individual software users and organizational users. The CIP definition organizes coursework around applying general programming knowledge to specific software and its installation and maintenance. Programs cover programming fundamentals (typically Python, Java, C#, and JavaScript), database programming with SQL, web and application development, software customization for specific platforms like ERP, CRM, and healthcare information systems, and capstone projects that solve real operational problems. The credential sits closer to applied-software-developer work than to theoretical computer science.

The major fits students drawn to writing code that solves immediate business problems rather than to algorithm-design or systems-research work, comfortable picking up new languages and frameworks quickly, and willing to build a portfolio of shipped projects alongside coursework. It rewards methodical debugging, comfort reading other people’s code, and the patience to learn how specific business platforms (Salesforce, SAP, healthcare EHR systems) actually work in production. The career ladder runs from junior developer or applications specialist into senior developer and architect roles, with movement into product or engineering management common at five to ten years.

One grounded observation about scale, school mix, and pay: 861 students complete this CIP across 91 institutions — and most of the top producers are community colleges, with ECPI University (80 bachelor’s) the only large bachelor’s-degree-granting top producer. Columbus State CC (64), College of DuPage (63), Des Moines Area CC (62), Metropolitan CC Kansas City (54), Portland CC (38), and Houston CC (35) anchor the associate’s-tier. Bachelor’s graduates earn $83,945 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $59,787 — a $24,000 spread reflecting the bachelor’s premium for software-developer roles. Named labor-market destinations split sharply: software developer ($133,080, 15.8% growth) and software QA ($102,610, 10% growth) are durable, while computer programmer ($98,670) shows -6% growth as the role consolidates into broader developer titles.

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 programmers $99k -6.0% Bachelor'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

$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’re drawn to writing code that solves immediate operational problems rather than to theoretical computer science, you’re comfortable picking up new languages and frameworks quickly and willing to build a portfolio of shipped projects alongside coursework, you’re using a community-college 11.0202 program as a faster path into entry-level applications work or as a transfer credential into a four-year Computer Science program, you’re comfortable with the $59,000 associate’s or $84,000 bachelor’s wage range, and you understand that the named “computer programmer” role is consolidating into broader software-developer titles.

Think twice if your target is competitive software-developer hiring at major tech companies — Computer Science (CIP 11.0701, 50,272 completions) at a four-year institution opens internships and recruiting pipelines that applied-programming programs typically don’t. Reconsider if your community college doesn’t have articulated transfer agreements into a state-university CS program; the bachelor’s premium ($24,000) is large enough that planning the transfer matters. Also pause if you’re assuming the legacy “computer programmer” title pays well — that role shows -6% projected growth as it consolidates into broader software-developer work, so target developer roles instead.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Computer Programming, Specific Applications

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA 0 80 80
Columbus State Community College Columbus, OH 64 0 64
College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL 63 0 63
Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA 62 0 62
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City Kansas City, MO 54 0 54
Portland Community College Portland, OR 38 0 38
Houston Community College Houston, TX 35 0 35
Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA 26 0 26
Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY 0 25 25
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH 25 0 25
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Computer Science

50,272 completions/yr

Information Technology

20,296 completions/yr

Computer Engineering, General

9,312 completions/yr

Computer Programming/Programmer, General

5,205 completions/yr

Computer Software Engineering

2,766 completions/yr

Informatics

1,513 completions/yr

Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation

717 completions/yr

Cloud Computing

534 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Computer Programming, Specific Applications majors actually study?
The CIP definition organizes coursework around applying general programming knowledge to solve specific operational problems and customization requirements presented by individual software users and organizational users — instruction in specific types of software and its installation and maintenance. In practice, programs cover programming fundamentals (Python, Java, C#, JavaScript), database programming (SQL), web and application development, software customization for specific platforms (ERP, CRM, healthcare information systems), and capstone projects that solve real operational problems.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Named destinations include software developers ($133,080, 15.8% growth, bachelor’s typical), software quality assurance analysts and testers ($102,610, 10% growth, bachelor’s typical), and computer programmers ($98,670, -6% growth, bachelor’s typical). Bachelor’s graduates earn $83,945 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $59,787 — a $24,000 spread reflecting the bachelor’s premium for moving into software-developer roles versus support-and-customization work.
Why is the computer programmer role projected to decline?
Computer programmers (SOC 15-1251) shows -6% projected growth — the role is consolidating into broader software-developer and full-stack-developer titles, and many traditional “programmer” tasks are increasingly performed by developers who also do design and architecture. AI-assisted coding tools accelerate the trend by reducing the volume of pure-implementation work. The named software-developer destination ($133,080, 15.8% growth) is the more durable target. Graduates from this CIP should aim for developer roles rather than legacy programmer titles — the curriculum supports both.
How does this compare to Computer Science?
Computer Science (CIP 11.0701, 50,272 completions) is roughly 58 times larger and the dominant tech-track credential, with stronger theoretical foundations (algorithms, data structures, operating systems, computer architecture) and heavier mathematics. Computer Programming, Specific Applications (11.0202) is more applied and skill-focused, often offered at community colleges as a faster path into software work. Choose Computer Science for maximum career ceiling and access to the most competitive software-developer roles; choose this CIP if you want a faster, more applied path and your target employers value demonstrated skill over theoretical credential.
Why are top schools heavily community colleges?
Top producers — ECPI University (80, bachelor’s), Columbus State CC (64), College of DuPage (63), Des Moines Area CC (62), Metropolitan CC Kansas City (54), Portland CC (38), Houston CC (35), Kirkwood CC (26), RIT (25), Cincinnati State (25) — are predominantly community colleges. That pattern signals the credential is most often used as a two-year applied-programming pathway feeding either entry-level support-and-customization roles or transfer to a four-year computing program. Bachelor’s producers in this CIP are smaller; if you’re aiming at competitive software-developer hiring, a four-year Computer Science degree generally signals more clearly.
Should I plan to transfer to a four-year program?
Often yes if your target is competitive software-developer hiring at major tech companies. The bachelor’s premium is large ($24,000 in this packet), and Computer Science (CIP 11.0701) at a four-year institution opens internships and recruiting pipelines that two-year applied-programming programs typically don’t. Many community colleges in this CIP have articulated transfer agreements with state universities — check whether your target CC’s 11.0202 credits transfer cleanly into a CS bachelor’s. If transfer isn’t the goal, plan to build a strong portfolio of shipped projects to compete with bachelor’s candidates.