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Major · Computer & Information Sciences

A human-centered take on computer and information science

Informatics (CIP 11.0104) sits between computer science, design, and a chosen domain like health, biology, or social systems. About 1,513 students complete it across 52 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning a median of $90,128 in five-year tracked wages.

Schools offering
52
Annual completions
1,513
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$83k

About this major

Informatics (CIP 11.0104) studies computer systems from a user-centered perspective — the structure, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial systems that store, process, and communicate information. Coursework spans information sciences, human-computer interaction, system analysis and design, telecommunications, and information architecture. Most programs let students pick a track such as health informatics, bioinformatics, social informatics, or HCI, layering domain electives on top of a coding, databases, and data-analysis core. The cross-references in the CIP itself point to Bioinformatics (26.1103) and Medical Informatics (51.2706), signaling how often the major is paired with a substantive domain.

The major rewards students who like building software but also care about users, context, and domain meaning. Quantitative aptitude matters — programming, data structures, statistics, and database work appear in most curricula — but so does the ability to interview users, sketch interfaces, and reason about how information flows through an organization. Students drawn to Computer Science (11.0701) for the theory may find Informatics too applied; students drawn to Information Science/Studies (11.0401) for libraries and policy may find Informatics too technical. The fit lands in the middle.

Nationally, 1,513 students complete this CIP across 52 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates reporting a median of $90,128 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates reporting $55,645. Named destinations from the packet include software developers ($133,080, 15.8% projected growth), software QA analysts and testers ($102,610), and web and digital interface designers ($98,090). The completion count is small relative to Computer Science (50,272) — not because demand is thin, but because many universities route similar curricula through CS, IT, or General CIS codes instead of a dedicated Informatics program.

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
Web and digital interface designers $98k +7.0% Bachelor's 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

Green flags cluster around a few signals. Students who want a coding-heavy degree without committing to the theory-first orientation of Computer Science (50,272 completions vs. 1,513 here) tend to fit. A specific domain interest helps — health, biology, or social systems — because Informatics programs reward students who can pair software skills with substantive domain knowledge. Strong candidates also enjoy interviewing users and turning ambiguous needs into working systems, expect the bachelor’s wage of $90,128 and the software-developer destination ($133,080, 15.8% projected growth) as realistic outcomes, and target one of the named-Informatics anchors like UW-Seattle, Indiana Bloomington, UC-Irvine, or Albany.

Red flags are worth taking seriously. Reconsider this route if your target school doesn’t offer a dedicated Informatics program — a CS or IT degree with HCI and data tracks may give you the same skill mix with better employer recognition. Pause if your goal is the computer and information research scientist role ($140,910 median, 19.7% growth); that path lists a master’s as typical entry education and requires graduate study after the bachelor’s. An associate’s as a terminal credential is a weaker bet here, since the $55,645 associate’s wage trails the $90,128 bachelor’s figure and most named destinations list a bachelor’s as typical entry — a two-year stop at a school like Ivy Tech works best as a transfer step rather than a finish line.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Informatics

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA 0 365 365
Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN 0 269 269
University at Albany Albany, NY 0 116 116
University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA 0 89 89
Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN 0 71 71
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN 66 0 66
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 0 55 55
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 0 43 43
University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA 0 41 41
The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 0 38 38
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

Computer Programming/Programmer, General

5,205 completions/yr

Computer Software Engineering

2,766 completions/yr

Data Science, General

2,068 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Informatics majors actually study day-to-day?
The CIP definition centers on computer systems from a user-centered perspective — the structure, behavior, and interaction of natural and artificial systems that store, process, and communicate information. Coursework spans information sciences, human-computer interaction, system analysis and design, telecommunications, and information architecture. Most programs let you pick a track such as health informatics, bioinformatics, social informatics, or HCI, layering domain electives on top of programming, databases, and data analysis.
How is Informatics different from Computer Science?
Computer Science (CIP 11.0701) reports 50,272 completions nationally — roughly 33 times the size of Informatics at 1,513. CS leans heavily on theory, algorithms, systems, and math; Informatics keeps the coding core but trades some theory for HCI, design, and a domain. Information Science/Studies (11.0401, 10,334 completions) sits closer to libraries, data curation, and information policy. Informatics graduates compete for many of the same software, data, and UX roles as CS graduates, but the program signals more interest in users and applied domains.
Why are completions so low if the field sounds broad?
The 1,513 figure across 52 institutions reflects administrative grouping more than student demand. Many universities house similar curricula under Computer Science (11.0701), Information Technology (11.0103), or Computer and Information Sciences, General (11.0101) rather than the dedicated Informatics CIP. Indiana University-Bloomington (269 graduates), University of Washington-Seattle (365), University at Albany (116), and UC-Irvine (89) anchor the named-Informatics tradition; elsewhere, students pursuing the same skill mix may complete a different CIP entirely.
What jobs do Informatics graduates end up in?
Named destinations in the packet include software developers ($133,080 median, 15.8% projected growth), software QA analysts and testers ($102,610, 10% growth), and web and digital interface designers ($98,090, 7% growth) — all bachelor’s-typical roles. Computer and information research scientists ($140,910, 19.7% growth) appear too, but that role is master’s-typical and tends to follow graduate study. In practice, graduates also land in data analysis, UX research, product analytics, and health informatics, depending on the track they chose.
Is an associate’s enough, or do you need a bachelor’s?
The packet lists both associate’s and bachelor’s degree levels, but the earnings split is wide: associate’s graduates report $55,645 in five-year tracked wages, while bachelor’s graduates report $90,128. Most named career destinations — software developer, QA analyst, web designer — list a bachelor’s as typical entry education. An associate’s pathway, like the 66-graduate program at Ivy Tech Community College, can work as a transfer step toward a four-year Informatics or CS degree rather than as a terminal credential for the higher-wage roles.
Where is Informatics actually offered?
Production is concentrated. University of Washington-Seattle (365 bachelor’s), Indiana University-Bloomington (269), University at Albany (116), UC-Irvine (89), and Indiana University-Indianapolis (71) lead the bachelor’s side. Ivy Tech Community College (66 associate’s) anchors the two-year side. University of Arizona (55), Penn State Main Campus (43), UMass-Amherst (41), and UT-Austin (38) round out the top ten. If your target school doesn’t offer a named Informatics program, look for a CS or IT degree with HCI, data, or health-informatics tracks.