Computers and technology are a fact of life today. If you are one of those who happens to love dealing with computer related technology, and want to pursue a degree in computer science, then you are in luck. Recent survey data helps explain why a computer science degree is such a wise move for your career. Let’s look at five statistics that demonstrate the value of a computer science background, and briefly look at a way to get your computer science degree quicker and cheaper than you might have thought possible.
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Computer Science Graduates Get Hired
According to a 2014 study by the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE), nearly 70% of computer science majors had at least one job offer prior to graduating. A 2015 study found that less than half of the overall graduates in 2014 had a full time job when the survey was taken. However, 61% of those with computer science degrees did have full time jobs, bested only by military science at 62%.
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Computer Science Graduates Among Highest Paid
The Looksharp survey found that computer science graduates had the highest average starting salary of any major – an overall average of $66,161. Median salaries for particular disciplines in computer science were even higher. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for software designers in 2014 was $97,990. System analysts had a median salary of $82,710.
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Computer Science Graduates Have Bargaining Power
Because of the huge demand and continued shortage of qualified applicants, computer science graduates have leverage when it comes time to negotiating salaries and other conditions. The Looksharp survey found that computer science majors are pickier than other graduates, because they know they can be. In fact, 75% of the graduates with other majors said they’d take internships as a way to possibly get a full time position. Only 68% of computer science majors said they would. While more than half of those with other degrees would take a job with unfavorable work-to-home-life balance, only 39% of those with a computer science degree would do so. As for salaries, 12% of the computer science graduates felt that the starting salary should be six figures. 13% of them actually did receive 6 figure starting salaries in 2014. Computer science majors are better able to find the jobs that will make them happy and successful.
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Computer Science Courses Make Anyone More Marketable
53% of all students who responded to the Looksharp survey said they took some computer science classes, even those majoring in other fields. Non-computer science majors felt it helped them stand out from other candidates when it came time to job hunt. Leading the way were business majors, with 69% of them feeling computer science classes gave them an edge.
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Computer Science Degrees Will Be in Future Demand
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that computer science majors will find a favorable market for at least the next decade. IT is projected to have a 12% growth rate - higher than the average for all occupations – and almost half a million jobs are expected to be added by 2024. Employment for software developers is expected to grow by 17% in the same amount of time. Computer systems analyst positions are expected to grow even faster – 21% by 2024 due to the growth in cloud computing, security issues, and the increase of mobile networks. Other computer science specialties are expected to continue to grow at similar rates.
Credit-By-Exam - The Quicker, More Cost-Effective Way to Your Computer Science Degree
Credit-by-exam is a way to get a semester’s worth of credit by taking and passing one exam. Achieve Test Prep helps you prepare for those exams through a few short weeks of prep classes without the research projects, term papers, quizzes, and months of sitting in a classroom you find in a traditional semester. You can take the prep classes on location at one of our campuses across the country, or online with the same qualified live instructors, conveniently from the comfort of your own home. With Achieve’s credit-by-exam program, you can gain a competitive advantage over your peers by getting your computer science degree quicker, with less expense, than by traditional methods.
Find out more on how you can get your degree in less time and with less cost than through traditional methods by contacting Achieve today!