Major decision guide
Computer Science vs Software Engineering
Computer science studies computation broadly — algorithms, theory, systems, and several application areas. Software engineering narrows the focus to building and maintaining large software systems reliably: requirements, architecture, testing, and the process discipline that keeps a codebase healthy across a team and a decade.
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 14.0903
Software Engineering
Official title: Computer Software Engineering · Family: engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply scientific and mathematical principles to the design, analysis, verification, validation, implementation, and maintenance of computer software systems using a variety of computer languages. Includes instruction in discrete mathematics, probability and statistics, computer science, managerial science, and applications to complex computer systems.
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
Software Engineering
- Programming across multiple languages and paradigms
- Data structures and algorithm design
- Software architecture and design patterns
- Requirements engineering and system specification
- Software testing, debugging, and quality assurance
- Version control and collaborative development workflows
- Discrete mathematics, probability, and statistics
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 Software Engineering 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 (3)
Occupations the federal crosswalk associates with both programs.
$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.
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.
Mapped to Computer Science only (10)
The crosswalk associates these with Computer Science but not with Software Engineering. Graduates of either major are still hired into many of them.
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.
$124,910 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 28.5% 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.
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.
$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.
$112,590 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 33.5% 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 Software Engineering only (2)
The crosswalk associates these with Software Engineering but not with Computer Science. Graduates of either major are still hired into many of them.
Architectural and Engineering Managers
$167,740 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Bachelor's degree. Employment is projected to grow 3.8% 2024–2034.
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
$106,120 annual median (2024)
Typically enters with: Doctoral or professional degree. Employment is projected to grow 8.1% 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 have not settled on a specialization yet — research, machine learning, and systems all still appeal — and you would rather learn underlying principles now and pick up engineering process on the job.
Software Engineering may fit if…
You already know you want to build production software professionally, and you would rather spend those credits on architecture, testing, and working in teams than on theory you may not use.
Commonly misunderstood
These two overlap heavily — the federal crosswalk maps both to software developer and QA roles. Employers rarely treat one as disqualifying for the other, so the practical question is which curriculum you would rather spend your degree inside.
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.
- 1Is the software engineering program ABET-accredited, and does that matter for the employers or graduate programs I care about?
- 2How much of the software engineering degree is team-based project work, and how large are those projects?
- 3If I choose CS, does the department offer a software-engineering concentration that covers the same ground?
- 4Which degree do the employers who recruit on this campus actually hire from?
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 Software Engineering major?
- Computer science studies computation broadly — algorithms, theory, systems, and several application areas. Software engineering narrows the focus to building and maintaining large software systems reliably: requirements, architecture, testing, and the process discipline that keeps a codebase healthy across a team and a decade.
- Do Computer Science and Software Engineering lead to the same jobs?
- Partly. The federal CIP–SOC crosswalk maps both programs to 3 of the same occupations — including Database Architects, Software Developers, Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers. It also maps 10 occupations to Computer Science that it does not map to Software Engineering, and 2 to Software Engineering 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 Software Engineering?
- 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 Software Engineering?
- These two overlap heavily — the federal crosswalk maps both to software developer and QA roles. Employers rarely treat one as disqualifying for the other, so the practical question is which curriculum you would rather spend your degree inside.
Read the full major guides
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Data sources & methodology
Academic classifications, occupation mappings, and wage figures for Computer Science and Software Engineering 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 Software Engineering: How to Choose a Major. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/compare-majors/computer-science-vs-software-engineering