Computer science is a diverse and important field that impacts daily life more and more every day. It’s the third most popular major for international students in the US because it offers job security, good starting salaries, a variety of job options, and plenty of opportunities for growth and creativity.
What is Computer Science?
As a computer science major, you’ll dive into the world of technology. This field is great for students who are good at logical thinking, problem-solving, and enjoy a constantly challenging environment. You’ll start by learning programming languages, algorithms, and operating systems. Once you’re comfortable with these, you’ll use your skills to create websites, analyze data, and more.
You’ll take math courses like statistics, calculus, and advanced algebra, along with introductory computer classes. These will help you understand data visualization and cryptography. Then, you’ll move on to more advanced and specialized courses.
There are two main types of undergraduate computer science degrees in the US. A Bachelor of Arts in computer science is broad and allows you to study various subjects. A Bachelor of Science in computer science is more focused on preparing you for a career in the field, with many required courses taken early on.
Career Options in Computer Science
Computer science covers a wide range of topics and is important in almost every industry. It mainly focuses on software, but also includes hardware. The field includes networking, data systems, game development, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, robotics, and more. As technology becomes more important, so does computer science.
With so many career options, the demand for computer science graduates is very high. You can get an undergraduate degree in computer science at almost any US college, and specialize further in graduate school. This means you can customize your education to fit your needs and goals.
If you need help paying for your studies, look into scholarships and loans.
Quality of Education
The US offers many high-quality computer science programs. A degree from a US school is highly respected. According to U.S. News and World Report, six of the top ten computer science schools are in the US, and the top three are US schools.
Job Opportunities
More and more international students are choosing to study computer science in the US, and the demand for skilled workers is growing. According to the World University Rankings, computer science graduates have a median salary of $116,000 mid-career, making it one of the top-paying degrees.
One big issue for college graduates today is finding a job related to their degree. Computer science graduates usually don’t have this problem because there’s a high demand for their skills. Many computer science departments report job placement rates over 90%. Graduates often have the luxury of choosing a career that fits their interests because of the widespread need for technology experts.
Whether you’re interested in entertainment, engineering, government, medicine, communications, education, defense, or business, a computer science degree will open many doors for a successful career.
Top 5 Ranked Computer Science Universities in the USA
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pitsburgh, PA (#1 in Computer Science)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (#1 in Computer Science)
- Standford University, Stanford, CA (#1 in Computer Science)
- University of California –Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (#1 in Computer Science)
- University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL (#5 in Computer Science)