Major decision guide
Computer Science vs Data Science
Computer science centers on building systems; data science centers on drawing defensible conclusions from data. The overlap is real — both require programming and both feed machine-learning work — but a CS curriculum spends its credits on systems and theory while a data science curriculum spends them on statistics, inference, and experimental design.
How each major is officially classified
Both definitions below are the official U.S. Department of Education (NCES) CIP 2020 descriptions — not CampusPin summaries.
CIP 11.0701
Computer Science
Official title: Computer Science · Family: computer and information sciences and support services
A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations.
CIP 30.7001
Data Science
Official title: Data Science, General · Family: multi/interdisciplinary studies
A program that focuses on the analysis of large scale data sources from the interdisciplinary perspectives of applied statistics, computer science, data storage, data representation, data modeling, mathematics, and statistics. Includes instruction in computer algorithms, computer programming, data management, data mining, information policy, information retrieval, mathematical modeling, quantitative analysis, statistics, trend spotting, and visual analytics.
What you actually study
Computer Science
- Programming foundations in languages like Python, Java, C/C++, and JavaScript
- Algorithm design and analysis (Big-O, dynamic programming, graph algorithms)
- Data structures (arrays, trees, hash tables, heaps, graphs)
- Operating systems, networks, and computer architecture
- Databases and distributed systems
- Discrete mathematics, linear algebra, probability, and statistics
- Software engineering practices: version control, testing, code review, agile workflows
Data Science
- Statistics, probability, and statistical modeling
- Linear algebra and calculus for ML foundations
- Programming in Python and R
- Machine learning (supervised, unsupervised, deep learning intro)
- Data engineering and SQL
- Data visualization (matplotlib, ggplot2, Tableau)
- Experimental design and A/B testing
Where each major leads
The federal CIP–SOC crosswalk maps each academic program to the occupations it is designed to feed. Comparing the two lists shows where Computer Science and Data Science converge and where they part. Every wage below is the BLS 2024 national median for that occupation — not an outcome for the major, and not a starting salary.
Mapped to both (5)
Occupations the federal crosswalk associates with both programs.
Computer and Information Systems Managers
$171,200 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 15.2% 2024–2034.
Computer and Information Research Scientists
$140,910 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Master's degree. Employment is projected to grow 19.7% 2024–2034.
$135,980 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 8.7% 2024–2034.
$133,080 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 15.8% 2024–2034.
$112,590 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 33.5% 2024–2034.
Mapped to Computer Science only (8)
The crosswalk associates these with Computer Science but not with Data Science. Graduates of either major are still hired into many of them.
$124,910 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 28.5% 2024–2034.
Computer Network Support Specialists
$73,340 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Associate's degree. Employment is projected to grow 1.8% 2024–2034.
$98,670 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to decline 6.0% 2024–2034.
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
$102,610 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 10.0% 2024–2034.
$90,930 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 7.5% 2024–2034.
Web and Digital Interface Designers
$98,090 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 7.0% 2024–2034.
Computer Occupations, All Other
$108,970 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 8.2% 2024–2034.
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary
$96,690 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Doctoral or professional degree. Employment is projected to grow 5.3% 2024–2034.
Mapped to Data Science only (3)
The crosswalk associates these with Data Science but not with Computer Science. Graduates of either major are still hired into many of them.
$161,180 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 3.7% 2024–2034.
$103,300 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Master's degree. Employment is projected to grow 8.5% 2024–2034.
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
$78,490 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Doctoral or professional degree. Employment is projected to grow 1.8% 2024–2034.
A major does not restrict you to these occupations, and plenty of graduates work outside them. The mapping describes what each program is built to prepare you for.
Which one tends to suit which student
This part is CampusPin’s judgement, not a measurement. Neither major is better; they suit different temperaments.
Computer Science may fit if…
You want to build the thing — the platform, the service, the model-serving infrastructure — and you would rather add statistics later than take it as the core.
Data Science may fit if…
The question interests you more than the system. You want to be the person who can say whether an effect is real, design the experiment that shows it, and communicate the result to people who will act on it.
Commonly misunderstood
Data science degrees are young and vary enormously between institutions. Two programs with the same name can sit almost entirely in a statistics department or almost entirely in a computer science one, with very different required coursework. Compare the actual course lists, not the degree titles.
What to ask each department
Curricula vary far more between institutions than between these two majors. These questions surface the differences that actually matter for this choice.
- 1How much genuine statistics does the data science program require — probability, inference, experimental design — versus tooling courses?
- 2Which department owns the data science degree (computer science, statistics, or a standalone school)? This shapes the whole curriculum.
- 3Does the CS program offer a machine-learning or data concentration that would cover similar ground?
- 4What do the capstone projects look like, and do students work with real, messy datasets?
How this comparison was built
The occupation lists come from the official NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk, which maps each academic program to the occupations it prepares students for. CampusPin intersects the two programs’ lists to show the shared and distinct destinations; the grouping is arithmetic on a federal dataset, not an editorial ranking.
Wages, projected employment change, and typical entry-level education come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and are attached to the occupation, not to the major. A median is the midpoint for everyone in that occupation nationally, including people with decades of experience, so it is not a starting salary and not a promise.
The “which one tends to suit which student” and “what to ask” sections are editorial judgement, labelled as such. CampusPin does not rank majors and takes no position on which is worth more.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a Computer Science and a Data Science major?
- Computer science centers on building systems; data science centers on drawing defensible conclusions from data. The overlap is real — both require programming and both feed machine-learning work — but a CS curriculum spends its credits on systems and theory while a data science curriculum spends them on statistics, inference, and experimental design.
- Do Computer Science and Data Science lead to the same jobs?
- Partly. The federal CIP–SOC crosswalk maps both programs to 5 of the same occupations — including Computer and Information Systems Managers, Computer and Information Research Scientists, Database Architects. It also maps 8 occupations to Computer Science that it does not map to Data Science, and 3 to Data Science that it does not map to Computer Science. A degree is not a restriction — graduates work outside these lists routinely — but the mapping shows where each program is designed to lead.
- Which pays more, Computer Science or Data Science?
- CampusPin does not publish a "higher-paying major" answer, because the data does not support one. BLS reports median wages by OCCUPATION, not by college major, and both of these majors lead to a range of occupations that overlap. The per-occupation medians on this page are the honest version of that question: compare the specific roles you are actually interested in, and remember that pay varies widely by employer, region, and experience.
- Is there anything commonly misunderstood about choosing between Computer Science and Data Science?
- Data science degrees are young and vary enormously between institutions. Two programs with the same name can sit almost entirely in a statistics department or almost entirely in a computer science one, with very different required coursework. Compare the actual course lists, not the degree titles.
Read the full major guides
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Data sources & methodology
Academic classifications, occupation mappings, and wage figures for Computer Science and Data Science come from federal datasets committed to this site.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020)
Official academic program taxonomy: the code, title, and definition shown for each major.
NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 Crosswalk
The federal mapping from academic programs to occupations. Determines which occupations each major is shown as leading to.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Median annual wage, projected employment change, and typical entry-level education for every occupation named.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. Computer Science vs Data Science: How to Choose a Major. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/compare-majors/computer-science-vs-data-science