Data Science major
Data Science: courses, careers, and where to study
Data Science combines statistics, programming, and domain expertise to turn raw data into decisions, drawing on machine learning, visualization, and data engineering.
A Data Science major sits at the intersection of statistics, computer science, and the domain in which data is applied. Coursework typically includes calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, programming (mostly Python and R), database design, machine learning, and data visualization. Most programs require a capstone project on a real-world dataset.
Employment is broad: every industry that collects data, finance, healthcare, tech, retail, government, sports, hires data scientists. Many graduates pair the major with a domain minor (Economics, Biology, Public Health) to specialize.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Data Science maps to CIP 30.7001, Data Science, General, within the MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES family. The official definition:
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Data Science is awarded as
Of the 7,707 Data Science credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate5%420
- Associate<1%52
- Bachelor's32%2,477
- Graduate62%4,758
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 24 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 24 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- 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
- Ethics, bias, and reproducibility in data work
Typical careers
- Data Scientist
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Data Analyst
- Quantitative Analyst
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Research Scientist
Typical salary range: $80,000–$130,000 early-career (BLS, 2024 data scientists median $112,590)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Data Science, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $133,080 | 115,200 | +15.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,200 | 55,600 | +15.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Data Scientists | $112,590 | 23,400 | +33.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $78,490 | 13,500 | +1.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $161,180 | 8,500 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Database Architects | $135,980 | 4,000 | +8.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $140,910 | 3,200 | +19.7% | Master's degree |
| Statisticians | $103,300 | 2,000 | +8.5% | Master's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 8 of these 8 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Data Science does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Data Science major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Data Science program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Data Science department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Data Science program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Data Science credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Eastern UniversityPA · 668
- University of Wisconsin-MadisonWI · 632
- University of North TexasTX · 376
- New York UniversityNY · 368
- University of Michigan-Ann ArborMI · 237
- New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNJ · 209
- Columbia University in the City of New YorkNY · 208
- The University of Texas at AustinTX · 174
- San Jose State UniversityCA · 171
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA · 158
- Saint Peter's UniversityNJ · 154
- Maryville University of Saint LouisMO · 132
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Data Science credentials were awarded
10 states have a distinct enough set of Data Science colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Computer Science
Computer Science combines the mathematical foundations of computation with practical software engineering, preparing graduates for careers in software, AI/ML, security, data, and research.
Mathematics
Mathematics develops formal proof, abstraction, and quantitative analysis, feeding into research, finance, computing, actuarial science, and graduate programs across STEM.
Statistics
Statistics covers the mathematics of collecting, modeling, and drawing conclusions from data, a quantitative major suited to students who like reasoning under uncertainty.
Still deciding between Data Science and something else?
These guides put Data Scienceside by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Data Science degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Computing & Math careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Data Science degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Data Science path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.